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A Multi-Analytical Approach to Infer Mineral–Microbial Interactions Applied to Petroglyph Sites in the Negev Desert of Israel. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/app12146936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Petroglyph sites exist all over the world. They are one of the earliest forms of mankind’s expression and a precursor to art. Despite their outstanding value, comprehensive research on conservation and preservation of rock art is minimal, especially as related to biodeterioration. For this reason, the main objective of this study was to explore the factors involved in the degradation of petroglyph sites in the Negev desert of Israel, with a focus on biodegradation processes. Through the use of culture-independent microbiological methods (metagenomics), we characterized the microbiomes of the samples, finding they were dominated by bacterial communities, in particular taxa of Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria, with resistance to radiation and desiccation. By means of XRF and Raman spectroscopies, we defined the composition of the stone (calcite and quartz) and the dark crust (clay minerals with Mn and Fe oxides), unveiling the presence of carotenoids, indicative of biological colonization. Optical microscopy and SEM–EDX analyses on thin sections highlighted patterns of weathering, possibly connected to the presence of biodeteriorative microorganisms that leach the calcareous matrix from the bedrock and mobilize metal cations from the black varnish for metabolic processes, slowly weathering it.
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Shining light on photosynthetic microbes and manganese-enriched rock varnish. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2109436118. [PMID: 34183441 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2109436118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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3
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Abstract
Rock varnish is a prominent feature of desert landscapes and the canvas for many prehistoric petroglyphs. How it forms—and, in particular, the basis for its extremely high manganese content—has been an enduring mystery. The work presented here establishes a biological mechanism for this manganese enrichment, underpinned by an apparent antioxidant strategy that enables microbes to survive in the harsh environments where varnish forms. The understanding that varnish is the residue of life using manganese to thrive in the desert illustrates that, even in extremely stark environments, the imprint of life is omnipresent on the landscape. Desert varnish is a dark rock coating that forms in arid environments worldwide. It is highly and selectively enriched in manganese, the mechanism for which has been a long-standing geological mystery. We collected varnish samples from diverse sites across the western United States, examined them in petrographic thin section using microscale chemical imaging techniques, and investigated the associated microbial communities using 16S amplicon and shotgun metagenomic DNA sequencing. Our analyses described a material governed by sunlight, water, and manganese redox cycling that hosts an unusually aerobic microbial ecosystem characterized by a remarkable abundance of photosynthetic Cyanobacteria in the genus Chroococcidiopsis as the major autotrophic constituent. We then showed that diverse Cyanobacteria, including the relevant Chroococcidiopsis taxon, accumulate extraordinary amounts of intracellular manganese—over two orders of magnitude higher manganese content than other cells. The speciation of this manganese determined by advanced paramagnetic resonance techniques suggested that the Cyanobacteria use it as a catalytic antioxidant—a valuable adaptation for coping with the substantial oxidative stress present in this environment. Taken together, these results indicated that the manganese enrichment in varnish is related to its specific uptake and use by likely founding members of varnish microbial communities.
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Genetic diversity of Japanese quail cathelicidins. Poult Sci 2021; 100:101046. [PMID: 33780752 PMCID: PMC8039728 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2021.101046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Japanese quail is a low-fat, meat-bird species exhibiting high disease resistance. Cathelicidins (CATHs) are host defense peptides conserved across numerous vertebrate species that play an important role in innate immunity. The activity of host defense peptides can be affected by amino acid substitutions. However, no polymorphisms in avian CATH genes have been reported to date. The aim of this study was to clarify the polymorphisms in CATHs in Japanese quail. DNA for genomic analyses was extracted from the peripheral blood of 99 randomly selected quail from 6 inbred lines. A total of 6, 4, 6, and 4 CjCATH1, -2, -3, and -B1 alleles were identified, respectively. Nine haplotypes, including 4 strain-specific haplotypes, were identified by combining alleles at the CjCATH1, -2, -3, and -B1 loci. In addition, 2 and 1 amino acid substitutions (I145F, Q148H, and P245H) predicted by PROVEAN and PolyPhen-2 to have deleterious effects were detected in CjCATH2 and -B1, respectively. Synthetic CjCATH2 and -B1 peptides exhibited greater antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli than chicken CATH2 and -B1, respectively. Furthermore, the CjCATHB1∗04 peptide exhibited less potent antimicrobial activity than other CjCATHB1 peptides examined. This is the first report of amino acid substitutions accompanied by changes in antibacterial activity in avian CATHs. These findings could be employed as indicators of improvements in innate immune response in poultry.
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Choe YH, Kim M, Lee YK. Distinct Microbial Communities in Adjacent Rock and Soil Substrates on a High Arctic Polar Desert. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:607396. [PMID: 33488547 PMCID: PMC7819959 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.607396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding microbial niche variability in polar regions can provide insights into the adaptive diversification of microbial lineages in extreme environments. Compositions of microbial communities in Arctic soils are well documented but a comprehensive multidomain diversity assessment of rocks remains insufficiently studied. In this study, we obtained two types of rocks (sandstone and limestone) and soils around the rocks in a high Arctic polar desert (Svalbard), and examined the compositions of archaeal, bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities in the rocks and soils. The microbial community structure differed significantly between rocks and soils across all microbial groups at higher taxonomic levels, indicating that Acidobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, Latescibacteria, Rokubacteria, Leotiomycetes, Pezizomycetes, Mortierellomycetes, Sarcomonadea, and Spirotrichea were more abundant in soils, whereas Cyanobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, FBP, Lecanoromycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Trebouxiophyceae, and Ulvophyceae were more abundant in rocks. Interestingly, fungal communities differed markedly between two different rock types, which is likely to be ascribed to the predominance of distinct lichen-forming fungal taxa (Verrucariales in limestone, and Lecanorales in sandstone). This suggests that the physical or chemical properties of rocks could be a major determinant in the successful establishment of lichens in lithic environments. Furthermore, the biotic interactions among microorganisms based on co-occurrence network analysis revealed that Polyblastia and Verrucaria in limestone, and Atla, Porpidia, and Candelariella in sandstone play an important role as keystone taxa in the lithic communities. Our study shows that even in niches with the same climate regime and proximity to each other, heterogeneity of edaphic and lithic niches can affect microbial community assembly, which could be helpful in comprehensively understanding the effects of niche on microbial assembly in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Hoe Choe
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Mincheol Kim
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, South Korea
| | - Yoo Kyung Lee
- Korea Polar Research Institute, Incheon, South Korea
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Geomicrobial Investigations of Colored Outer Coatings from an Ethiopian Rock Art Gallery. COATINGS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/coatings10060536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The open rock shelter of Yabelo in Ethiopia hosts diverse Holocene paintings of great cultural importance. The paintings are characterized by the presence of different mineral coatings, whose features have not been studied yet. Our goal was to understand whether different rock samples from the Yabelo paintings collected in close proximity may reveal coatings with different minerology and biology. Thus, elemental analyses combined with microscopic and molecular investigations were performed on two coatings, one whitish (sample 1) and one reddish (sample 2). Although both samples were dominated by heterotrophic bacteria, the two coatings showed distinct mineralogical and microbiological characteristics. Sample 1 contained higher amounts of Ca and P than sample 2, which was likely related to the presence of organic matter. Sample 1 hosted bacterial genera that are potentially involved in biomineralization processes, metal redox cycles and metal resistance. In contrast, sample 2 showed mainly pathogenic and commensal bacteria that are characteristic of animal and human microbiota, and other microorganisms that are involved in nitrogen and metal biogeochemical cycles. Overall, our results indicated that the bacterial communities were particular to the coating mineralogy, suggesting a potential role of the biological components in the crust genesis.
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Esposito A, Borruso L, Rattray JE, Brusetti L, Ahmed E. Taxonomic and functional insights into rock varnish microbiome using shotgun metagenomics. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 95:5626342. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACTRock varnish is a microbial habitat, characterised by thin (5–500 μm) and shiny coatings of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) oxides associated with clay minerals. This structure is well studied by geologists, and recently there have been reports about the taxonomical composition of its microbiome. In this study, we investigated the rock varnish microbiome using shotgun metagenomics together with analyses of elemental composition, lipid and small molecule biomarkers, and rock surface analyses to explore the biogeography of microbial communities and their functional features. We report taxa and encoded functions represented in metagenomes retrieved from varnish or non-varnish samples, additionally, eight nearly complete genomes have been reconstructed spanning four phyla (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and TM7). The functional and taxonomic analyses presented in this study provide new insights into the ecosystem dynamics and survival strategies of microbial communities inhabiting varnish and non-varnish rock surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Esposito
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology – CIBIO – University of Trento, Via Sommarive 9, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Luigimaria Borruso
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Jayne E Rattray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lorenzo Brusetti
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Free University of Bozen/Bolzano, piazza Università 5, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
| | - Engy Ahmed
- Institute of Soil Biology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Sádkách 7, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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Villa F, Cappitelli F. The Ecology of Subaerial Biofilms in Dry and Inhospitable Terrestrial Environments. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7100380. [PMID: 31547498 PMCID: PMC6843906 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7100380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological relationship between minerals and microorganisms arguably represents one of the most important associations in dry terrestrial environments, since it strongly influences major biochemical cycles and regulates the productivity and stability of the Earth’s food webs. Despite being inhospitable ecosystems, mineral substrata exposed to air harbor form complex and self-sustaining communities called subaerial biofilms (SABs). Using life on air-exposed minerals as a model and taking inspiration from the mechanisms of some microorganisms that have adapted to inhospitable conditions, we illustrate the ecology of SABs inhabiting natural and built environments. Finally, we advocate the need for the convergence between the experimental and theoretical approaches that might be used to characterize and simulate the development of SABs on mineral substrates and SABs’ broader impacts on the dry terrestrial environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Villa
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
| | - Francesca Cappitelli
- Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy.
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Zheng Y, Wang CM, Sakai Y, Abe K, Yokota A, Yabe S. Thermogemmatispora aurantia sp. nov. and Thermogemmatispora argillosa sp. nov., within the class Ktedonobacteria, and emended description of the genus Thermogemmatispora. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:1744-1750. [DOI: 10.1099/ijsem.0.003388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zheng
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
| | - Chiung-Mei Wang
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
| | - Yasuteru Sakai
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
- 2Hazaka Plant Research Center, Kennan Eisei Kogyo Co., Ltd., 44 Aza-Inariyama, Oaza-Ashitate, Murata-cho, Shibata-gun, Miyagi 989-1311, Japan
| | - Keietsu Abe
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
| | - Akira Yokota
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
| | - Shuhei Yabe
- 2Hazaka Plant Research Center, Kennan Eisei Kogyo Co., Ltd., 44 Aza-Inariyama, Oaza-Ashitate, Murata-cho, Shibata-gun, Miyagi 989-1311, Japan
- 1Graduate School of Agricultural Sciences, Tohoku University, 468-1 Aramaki Aza Aoba, Aobaku, Sendai 980-0845, Japan
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Ren G, Yan Y, Nie Y, Lu A, Wu X, Li Y, Wang C, Ding H. Natural Extracellular Electron Transfer Between Semiconducting Minerals and Electroactive Bacterial Communities Occurred on the Rock Varnish. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:293. [PMID: 30886603 PMCID: PMC6410676 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rock varnish is a thin coating enriched with manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxides. The mineral composition and formation of rock varnish elicit considerable attention from geologists and microbiologists. However, limited research has been devoted to the semiconducting properties of these Fe/Mn oxides in varnish and relatively little attention is paid to the mineral-microbe interaction under sunlight. In this study, the mineral composition and the bacterial communities on varnish from the Gobi Desert in Xinjiang, China were analyzed. Results of principal components analysis and t-test indicated that more electroactive genera such as Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus, Dietzia, and Pseudomonas gathered on varnish bacterial communities than on substrate rock and surrounding soils. We then explored the culture of varnish, substrate and soil samples in media and the extracellular electron transfer (EET) between bacterial communities and mineral electrodes under light/dark conditions for the first time. Orthogonal electrochemical experiments demonstrated that the most remarkable photocurrent density of 6.1 ± 0.4 μA/cm2 was observed between varnish electrode and varnish microflora. Finally, based on Raman and 16S rRNA gene-sequencing results, coculture system of birnessite and Pseudomonas (the major Mn oxide and a common electroactive bacterium in varnish) was established to study underlying mechanism. A steadily growing photocurrent (205 μA at 100 h) under light was observed with a stable birnessite after 110 h. However, only 47 μA was generated in the dark control and birnessite was reduced to Mn2+ in 13 h, suggesting that birnessite helped deliver electrons instead of serving as an electron acceptor under light. Our study demonstrated that electroactive bacterial communities were positively correlated with Fe/Mn semiconducting minerals in varnish, and diversified EET process occurred on varnish under sunlight. Overall, these phenomena may influence bacterial-community structure in natural environments over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guiping Ren
- The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingchun Yan
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Nie
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Anhuai Lu
- The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolei Wu
- College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Li
- The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Changqiu Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongrui Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, Beijing Key Laboratory of Mineral Environmental Function, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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11
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Gleeson DB, Leopold M, Smith B, Black JL. Rock-art microbiome: influences on long term preservation of historic and culturally important engravings. MICROBIOLOGY AUSTRALIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1071/ma18009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Burrup Peninsula in north-west Western Australia is home to one of the most substantial collections of rock engravings, or petroglyphs, in the world. These petroglyphs are carved through the dark coloured patina, commonly referred to as rock varnish, into the weathering rind of the local parent rock. Rock varnish is essentially a thin layer of manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) oxides and hydroxides with embedded clay minerals, the formation of which is relatively poorly understood. It is generally considered to be a hostile environment for microorganisms due to extreme environmental conditions including low nutrient availability, lack of water, exposure to extreme ultraviolet radiation and intense seasonal and diurnal temperature fluctuations. However, despite these environmental extremes, microorganisms have been found on and in rock varnish and have been reported as playing a significant role in the formation of rock varnish. Given this, it is likely that any change in local environmental conditions will influence the types and activities of microorganisms found in and on rock varnish and associated rock art. This article focuses on the major influences on the microbiome of culturally important rock art in the Burrup Peninsula and the implications of any environmental change on the rock art itself.
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Chaib De Mares M, Sipkema D, Huang S, Bunk B, Overmann J, van Elsas JD. Host Specificity for Bacterial, Archaeal and Fungal Communities Determined for High- and Low-Microbial Abundance Sponge Species in Two Genera. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2560. [PMID: 29326681 PMCID: PMC5742488 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Sponges are engaged in intimate symbioses with a diversity of microorganisms from all three domains of life, namely Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya. Sponges have been well studied and categorized for their bacterial communities, some displaying a high microbial abundance (HMA), while others show low microbial abundance (LMA). However, the associated Archaea and Eukarya have remained relatively understudied. We assessed the bacterial, archaeal and eukaryotic diversities in the LMA sponge species Dysidea avara and Dysidea etheria by deep amplicon sequencing, and compared the results to those in the HMA sponges Aplysina aerophoba and Aplysina cauliformis. D. avara and A. aerophoba are sympatric in the Mediterranean Sea, while D. etheria and A. cauliformis are sympatric in the Caribbean Sea. The bacterial communities followed a host-specific pattern, with host species identity explaining most of the variation among samples. We identified OTUs shared by the Aplysina species that support a more ancient association of these microbes, before the split of the two species studied here. These shared OTUs are suitable targets for future studies of the microbial traits that mediate interactions with their hosts. Even though the archaeal communities were not as rich as the bacterial ones, we found a remarkable diversification and specificity of OTUs of the family Cenarchaeaceae and the genus Nitrosopumilus in all four sponge species studied. Similarly, the differences in fungal communities were driven by sponge identity. The structures of the communities of small eukaryotes such as dinophytes and ciliophores (alveolates), and stramenopiles, could not be explained by either sponge host, sponge genus or geographic location. Our analyses suggest that the host specificity that was previously described for sponge bacterial communities also extends to the archaeal and fungal communities, but not to other microbial eukaryotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Chaib De Mares
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Detmer Sipkema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Sixing Huang
- Leibniz-Institut Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Boyke Bunk
- Leibniz-Institut Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Centre of Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jörg Overmann
- Leibniz-Institut Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen, Braunschweig, Germany.,German Centre of Infection Research (DZIF), Partner site Hannover-Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan Dirk van Elsas
- Microbial Ecology Cluster, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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13
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Polgári M, Bérczi S, Horiuchi K, Matsuzaki H, Kovács T, Józsa S, Bendő Z, Fintor K, Fekete J, Homonnay Z, Kuzmann E, Gucsik A, Gyollai I, Kovács J, Dódony I. Characterization and 10Be content of iron carbonate concretions for genetic aspects - Weathering, desert varnish or burning: Rim effects in iron carbonate concretions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 173:58-69. [PMID: 28011110 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The research investigated three iron carbonate (siderite) sedimentary concretions from Nagykovácsi, Úri and Délegyháza, Hungary. To identify possible source rocks and effects of the glaze-like exposed surface of the concretions, we carried on comparative petrological, mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic studies. The samples were microbially mediated siderite concretions with embedded metamorphous and igneous mineral clasts, and had specific rim belts characterized by semi-concentric outer Fe-oxide layers, fluffy pyrite-rich outer belts and siderite inner parts. We investigated the cross section of the Fe-carbonate concretions by independent methodologies in order to identify their rim effects. Their surficial oxide layers showed evidence of degassing of the exposed surface caused most probably by elevated temperatures. The inner rim pyrite belt in the concretions excluded the possibility of a prolonged wet surface environment. Microtextural and mineralogical features did not support desert varnish formation. 10Be nuclide values of the Nagykovácsi and Uri concretions were far above the level of terrestrial in-situ cosmogenic nuclides, but they were consistent with the lowest levels for meteorites. Though the data were not conclusive to confirm any kind of known origin, they are contradictary, and open possibilities for a scenario of terrestrial meteorite origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márta Polgári
- Research Center for Astronomy and Geosciences, Geobiomineralization and Astrobiological Research Group, Institute for Geology and Geochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1112, Budapest, Budaörsi út. 45, Hungary; Eszterházy Károly University, Dept. of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, Leányka str. 6, 3300, Eger, Hungary.
| | - Szaniszló Bérczi
- Eötvös University, Faculty of Science, Dept. of Materials Physics, Cosmic Materials Space Res. Group, 1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/a, Hungary.
| | - Kazuho Horiuchi
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University, 3, Bunkyo-chou, Hirosaki, Aomori, 036-8561, Japan.
| | - Hiroyuki Matsuzaki
- Micro Analysis Laboratory, Tandem Accelerator (MALT), The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, 2-11-16, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0032, Japan.
| | - Tibor Kovács
- Institute of Radiochemistry and Radioecology, University of Pannonia, Egyetem Str. 10, Veszprém, H-8200, Hungary.
| | - Sándor Józsa
- Eötvös University, Dept. Petrology and Geochemistry, 1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Bendő
- Eötvös University, Dept. Petrology and Geochemistry, 1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, Hungary
| | - Krisztián Fintor
- Szeged University, Department of Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Petrology, Egyetem str. 2-6, 6702, Szeged, Hungary.
| | - József Fekete
- Research Center for Astronomy and Geosciences, Geobiomineralization and Astrobiological Research Group, Institute for Geology and Geochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1112, Budapest, Budaörsi út. 45, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Homonnay
- Eötvös University, Inst. of Chemistry, 1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/a, Hungary
| | - Ernő Kuzmann
- Eötvös University, Inst. of Chemistry, 1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/a, Hungary
| | - Arnold Gucsik
- University of Johannesburg, Department of Geology, 2600, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ildikó Gyollai
- Research Center for Astronomy and Geosciences, Geobiomineralization and Astrobiological Research Group, Institute for Geology and Geochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1112, Budapest, Budaörsi út. 45, Hungary
| | - János Kovács
- Department of Geology & Meteorology, Environmental Analytical & Geoanalytical Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, 7624, Pécs, Ifjúság útja 6 and 20, Hungary
| | - István Dódony
- Eötvös University, Dept. Mineralogy, H-1117, Budapest, Pázmány P. s. 1/c, Hungary
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Mineral Types and Tree Species Determine the Functional and Taxonomic Structures of Forest Soil Bacterial Communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.02684-16. [PMID: 28003192 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02684-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Although minerals represent important soil constituents, their impact on the diversity and structure of soil microbial communities remains poorly documented. In this study, pure mineral particles with various chemistries (i.e., obsidian, apatite, and calcite) were considered. Each mineral type was conditioned in mesh bags and incubated in soil below different tree stands (beech, coppice with standards, and Corsican pine) for 2.5 years to determine the relative impacts of mineralogy and mineral weatherability on the taxonomic and functional diversities of mineral-associated bacterial communities. After this incubation period, the minerals and the surrounding bulk soil were collected to determine mass loss and to perform soil analyses, enzymatic assays, and cultivation-dependent and -independent analyses. Notably, our 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing analyses revealed that after the 2.5-year incubation period, the mineral-associated bacterial communities strongly differed from those of the surrounding bulk soil for all tree stands considered. When focusing only on minerals, our analyses showed that the bacterial communities associated with calcite, the less recalcitrant mineral type, significantly differed from those that colonized obsidian and apatite minerals. The cultivation-dependent analysis revealed significantly higher abundances of effective mineral-weathering bacteria on the most recalcitrant minerals (i.e., apatite and obsidian). Together, our data showed an enrichment of Betaproteobacteria and effective mineral-weathering bacteria related to the Burkholderia and Collimonas genera on the minerals, suggesting a key role for these taxa in mineral weathering and nutrient cycling in nutrient-poor forest ecosystems.IMPORTANCE Forests are usually developed on nutrient-poor and rocky soils, while nutrient-rich soils have been dedicated to agriculture. In this context, nutrient recycling and nutrient access are key processes in such environments. Deciphering how soil mineralogy influences the diversity, structure, and function of soil bacterial communities in relation to the soil conditions is crucial to better understanding the relative role of the soil bacterial communities in nutrient cycling and plant nutrition in nutrient-poor environments. The present study determined in detail the diversity and structure of bacterial communities associated with different mineral types incubated for 2.5 years in the soil under different tree species using cultivation-dependent and -independent analyses. Our data showed an enrichment of specific bacterial taxa on the minerals, specifically on the most weathered minerals, suggesting that they play key roles in mineral weathering and nutrient cycling in nutrient-poor forest ecosystems.
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Gaylarde C, Baptista-Neto JA, Ogawa A, Kowalski M, Celikkol-Aydin S, Beech I. Epilithic and endolithic microorganisms and deterioration on stone church facades subject to urban pollution in a sub-tropical climate. BIOFOULING 2017; 33:113-127. [PMID: 28054493 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2016.1269893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Weathering of two church facades in Rio de Janeiro was caused substantially by salts, mainly halite and gypsum, detected by SEM and chemical analyses, which cause physical stresses by deposition within the rock. Biofilm populations, determined by SEM and as operational taxonomic units (OTUs), degraded stone by penetration, solubilization and redeposition of minerals on their surfaces. Endolithic cyanobacteria were associated with gypsum deposits. Microbiomes were typical for high-stress environments, high salt, intense insolation, low water and low nutrients (eg halophilic Rubrobacter, Salinicola, Sterigmatomyces). The main colonizers on the church most affected by traffic (Nossa Senhora da Candelária - CA) were Actinobacteria; Gammaproteobacteria (chiefly Pseudomonas) were predominant on the site situated in a leafy square (São Francisco de Paula - SF). Major Gammaproteobacteria on CA were halophilic Halomonas and Rhodobacteriaceae. Fungal OTUs on both churches were principally dimorphic, yeast-like basidiomycetes. Many OTUs of thermophilic microorganisms (eg the Thermomicrobia class, Chloroflexi) were present. This is the first use of next generation sequencing (NGS) to study microbial biofilm interactions with metamorphic and granite buildings in an intensely urban, sub-tropical climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Gaylarde
- a Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman , OK , USA
| | | | - Akiko Ogawa
- a Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman , OK , USA
| | - Matthew Kowalski
- a Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman , OK , USA
| | - Sukriye Celikkol-Aydin
- a Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman , OK , USA
| | - Iwona Beech
- a Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma , Norman , OK , USA
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