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Bogdan DF, Baricz AI, Chiciudean I, Bulzu PA, Cristea A, Năstase-Bucur R, Levei EA, Cadar O, Sitar C, Banciu HL, Moldovan OT. Diversity, distribution and organic substrates preferences of microbial communities of a low anthropic activity cave in North-Western Romania. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:962452. [PMID: 36825091 PMCID: PMC9941645 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.962452] [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: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Karst caves are characterized by relatively constant temperature, lack of light, high humidity, and low nutrients availability. The diversity and functionality of the microorganisms dwelling in caves micro-habitats are yet underexplored. Therefore, in-depth investigations of these ecosystems aid in enlarging our understanding of the microbial interactions and microbially driven biogeochemical cycles. Here, we aimed at evaluating the diversity, abundance, distribution, and organic substrate preferences of microbial communities from Peștera cu Apă din Valea Leșului (Leșu Cave) located in the Apuseni Mountains (North-Western Romania). Materials and Methods To achieve this goal, we employed 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and community-level physiological profiling (CLPP) paralleled by the assessment of environmental parameters of cave sediments and water. Results and Discussion Pseudomonadota (synonym Proteobacteria) was the most prevalent phylum detected across all samples whereas the abundance detected at order level varied among sites and between water and sediment samples. Despite the general similarity at the phylum-level in Leșu Cave across the sampled area, the results obtained in this study suggest that specific sites drive bacterial community at the order-level, perhaps sustaining the enrichment of unique bacterial populations due to microenvironmental conditions. For most of the dominant orders the distribution pattern showed a positive correlation with C-sources such as putrescine, γ-amino butyric acid, and D-malic acid, while particular cases were positively correlated with polymers (Tween 40, Tween 80 and α-cyclodextrin), carbohydrates (α-D-lactose, i-erythritol, D-mannitol) and most of the carboxylic and ketonic acids. Physicochemical analysis reveals that sediments are geochemically distinct, with increased concentration of Ca, Fe, Al, Mg, Na and K, whereas water showed low nitrate concentration. Our PCA indicated the clustering of different dominant orders with Mg, As, P, Fe, and Cr. This information serves as a starting point for further studies in elucidating the links between the taxonomic and functional diversity of subterranean microbial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Felicia Bogdan
- Doctoral School of Integrative Biology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Institute for Research, Development and Innovation in Applied Natural Sciences, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,*Correspondence: Diana Felicia Bogdan, ✉
| | - Andreea Ionela Baricz
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Iulia Chiciudean
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Paul-Adrian Bulzu
- Biology Centre CAS, Institute of Hydrobiology, Department of Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Evolution, Ceske Budejovice, Czechia
| | - Adorján Cristea
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ruxandra Năstase-Bucur
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Erika Andrea Levei
- INCDO-INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Oana Cadar
- INCDO-INOE 2000, Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Cristian Sitar
- Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Zoological Museum, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Horia Leonard Banciu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Centre for Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Horia Leonard Banciu, ✉
| | - Oana Teodora Moldovan
- Emil Racovita Institute of Speleology, Cluj-Napoca Department, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Romanian Institute of Science and Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania,Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, CENIEH, Burgos, Spain
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Ahamada Rachid N, Doğruöz Güngör N. Major impacts of caving activities on cave microbial diversity: case study of Morca Cave, Turkey. Int Microbiol 2022; 26:179-190. [PMID: 36331653 DOI: 10.1007/s10123-022-00287-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Some of microorganisms identified in cave ecosystems have been reported to play a permanent and strategic role for maintaining life of these environments. Human entrance into caves can induce some changes of cave physicochemical parameters which ultimately impacts the living organisms. In these facts, for the first time, Morca Cave was explored in a purpose to evaluate the impacts that can be caused by the human activities on microbial diversity in a limited period of time. Morca is a karts cave located in the Taşeli Plateau in the Middle Taurus mountains in Turkey. The first entrance into this cave was in 2018, and expeditors reached to - 500 m. During the second expedition in 2019, a camp was established at the - 1040-m depth during 4 days. In order to evaluate the human impacts in a new explored cave, this camping depth is chosen to be our studied area because it was its first entrance. Before the installation and at the end of the camp, sediments and surface samples were taken from different points of the camp area and around. Sequencing of 16 s rRNA of each sample to isolate DNA by using the next-generation sequencing (NGS) method was performed. The profile of the microbial diversity before the camping revealed that the class Thermoplasmata was dominated the archaea group and Gammaproteobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria were the most dominant bacterial classes. After the camp, most studied sites were noted with a decrease of microbial diversity especially the previous cited classes strains. Bacteria belonging to Bacilli class have increased after the camp. Increase of bacteria that are belonging to Bacteroidia has also observed in the most active areas. This present study highlight how cave microbial diversity can respond to the human activities within a short period inside a closed cave. Furthermore, it may constitute a solid basis and support on the improvement of techniques for cave management and expedition planning for the conservation of cave nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahdhoit Ahamada Rachid
- Institute of Graduate Studies in Sciences, Istanbul University, 34134 Vezneciler Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nihal Doğruöz Güngör
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, 34134 Vezneciler Fatih, Istanbul, Turkey.
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