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Wegner CE, Stahl R, Velsko I, Hübner A, Fagernäs Z, Warinner C, Lehmann R, Ritschel T, Totsche KU, Küsel K. A glimpse of the paleome in endolithic microbial communities. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:210. [PMID: 37749660 PMCID: PMC10518947 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01647-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The terrestrial subsurface is home to a significant proportion of the Earth's microbial biomass. Our understanding about terrestrial subsurface microbiomes is almost exclusively derived from groundwater and porous sediments mainly by using 16S rRNA gene surveys. To obtain more insights about biomass of consolidated rocks and the metabolic status of endolithic microbiomes, we investigated interbedded limestone and mudstone from the vadose zone, fractured aquifers, and deep aquitards. RESULTS By adapting methods from microbial archaeology and paleogenomics, we could recover sufficient DNA for downstream metagenomic analysis from seven rock specimens independent of porosity, lithology, and depth. Based on the extracted DNA, we estimated between 2.81 and 4.25 × 105 cells × g-1 rock. Analyzing DNA damage patterns revealed paleome signatures (genetic records of past microbial communities) for three rock specimens, all obtained from the vadose zone. DNA obtained from deep aquitards isolated from surface input was not affected by DNA decay indicating that water saturation and not flow is controlling subsurface microbial survival. Decoding the taxonomy and functional potential of paleome communities revealed increased abundances for sequences affiliated with chemolithoautotrophs and taxa such as Cand. Rokubacteria. We also found a broader metabolic potential in terms of aromatic hydrocarbon breakdown, suggesting a preferred utilization of sedimentary organic matter in the past. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that limestones function as archives for genetic records of past microbial communities including those sensitive to environmental stress at modern times, due to their specific conditions facilitating long-term DNA preservation. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl-Eric Wegner
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Raphaela Stahl
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Irina Velsko
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alex Hübner
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zandra Fagernäs
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christina Warinner
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Robert Lehmann
- Hydrogeology, Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany
| | - Thomas Ritschel
- Hydrogeology, Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany
| | - Kai U Totsche
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany
- Hydrogeology, Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Burgweg 11, 07749, Jena, Germany
| | - Kirsten Küsel
- Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute of Biodiversity, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Str. 159, 07743, Jena, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Jena, Germany.
- German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.
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Warinner C. An Archaeology of Microbes. JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022. [DOI: 10.1086/721976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Warinner
- Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, USA 02138, and Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany 04103
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