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Mousa WK, Abu-Izneid T, Salah-Tantawy A. High-throughput sequencing reveals the structure and metabolic resilience of desert microbiome confronting climate change. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1294173. [PMID: 38510442 PMCID: PMC10953687 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1294173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Desert ecosystems harbor a unique microbial diversity that is crucial for ecological stability and biogeochemical cycles. An in-depth understanding of the biodiversity, compositions, and functions of these microbial communities is imperative to navigate global changes and confront potential threats and opportunities applicable to agricultural ecosystems amid climate change. Methods This study explores microbial communities in the rhizosphere and endosphere of desert plants native to the Arabian Peninsula using next-generation sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 hypervariable region). Results Our results reveal that each microbial community has a diverse and unique microbial composition. Based on alpha and beta diversity indices, the rhizosphere microbiome is significantly diverse and richer in microbial taxa compared to the endosphere. The data reveals a shift towards fast-growing microbes with active metabolism, involvement in nutrient cycling, nitrogen fixation, and defense pathways. Our data reveals the presence of habitat-specific microbial communities in the desert, highlighting their remarkable resilience and adaptability to extreme environmental conditions. Notably, we observed the existence of radiation-resistant microbes such as Deinococcus radiotolerans, Kocuria sp., and Rubrobacter radiotolerans which can tolerate high levels of ionizing radiation. Additionally, examples of microbes exhibiting tolerance to challenging conditions include Nocardioides halotolerans, thriving in high-salinity environments, and hyperthermophilic microbes such as Quasibacillus thermotolerans. Moreover, functional analysis reveals enrichment in chaperon biosynthesis pathways associated with correct protein folding under heat stress conditions. Discussion Our research sheds light on the unique diversity of desert microbes and underscores their potential applications to increase the resilience of agriculture ecosystems, offering a promising strategy to fortify crops against the challenges posed by climate change, ultimately supporting sustainable food production for our ever-expanding global population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa K. Mousa
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Al Ain University (AAU) Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- College of Pharmacy, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Tareq Abu-Izneid
- College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- Al Ain University (AAU) Health and Biomedical Research Center, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Ahmed Salah-Tantawy
- Institute of Analytical and Environmental Sciences, College of Nuclear Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
- Department of Zoology, Marine Science Division, College of Science, Al-Azhar University, Assiut, Egypt
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Huber KJ, Pester M, Eichorst SA, Navarrete AA, Foesel BU. Editorial: Acidobacteria – Towards Unraveling the Secrets of a Widespread, Though Enigmatic, Phylum. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:960602. [PMID: 35814658 PMCID: PMC9267355 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.960602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Katharina J. Huber
- Department Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Michael Pester
- Department Microorganisms, Leibniz Institute DSMZ - German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures, Braunschweig, Germany
- Institute for Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Stephanie A. Eichorst
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Acacio A. Navarrete
- Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences, University Brazil, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bärbel U. Foesel
- Working Group Biobank, Research Unit Molecular Epidemiology, Institute of Epidemiology, Helmholtz Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bärbel U. Foesel
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Coleine C, Biagioli F, de Vera JP, Onofri S, Selbmann L. Endolithic microbial composition in Helliwell Hills, a newly investigated Mars-like area in Antarctica. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:4002-4016. [PMID: 33538384 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The diversity and composition of Antarctic cryptoendolithic microbial communities in the Mars-analogue site of Helliwell Hills (Northern Victoria Land, Continental Antarctica) are investigated, for the first time, applying both culture-dependent and high-throughput sequencing approaches. The study includes all the domains of the tree of life: Eukaryotes, Bacteria and Archaea to give a complete overview of biodiversity and community structure. Furthermore, to explore the geographic distribution of endoliths throughout the Victoria Land (Continental Antarctica), we compared the fungal and bacterial community composition and structure of endolithically colonized rocks, collected in >30 sites in 10 years of Italian Antarctic Expeditions. Compared with the fungi and other eukaryotes, the prokaryotic communities were richer in species, more diverse and highly heterogeneous. Despite the diverse community compositions, shared populations were found and were dominant in all sites. Local diversification was observed and included prokaryotes as members of Alphaproteobacteria and Crenarchaeota (Archaea), the last detected for the first time in these cryptoendolithic communities. Few eukaryotes, namely lichen-forming fungal species as Lecidella grenii, were detected in Helliwell Hills only. These findings suggest that geographic distance and isolation in these remote areas may promote the establishment of peculiar locally diversified microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Federico Biagioli
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Jean Pierre de Vera
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Planetary Research, Planetary Laboratories, Research Group Astrobiological Laboratories, Berlin, Germany
| | - Silvano Onofri
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy
| | - Laura Selbmann
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, Viterbo, Italy.,Italian Antarctic National Museum (MNA), Mycological Section, Genoa, Italy
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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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Samuels T, Bryce C, Landenmark H, Marie‐Loudon C, Nicholson N, Stevens AH, Cockell C. Microbial Weathering of Minerals and Rocks in Natural Environments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/9781119413332.ch3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Zanardini E, May E, Purdy KJ, Murrell JC. Nutrient cycling potential within microbial communities on culturally important stoneworks. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2019; 11:147-154. [PMID: 30346661 PMCID: PMC7379959 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies on microbes associated with deterioration of cultural heritage (CH) stoneworks have revealed a diverse microbiota adapted to stresses such as low nutrients, aridity and high salinity, temperatures and radiation. However, the function of these pioneer microbial communities is still unclear. This study examines bacterial and archaeal diversity in exfoliated and dark encrustation sandstone from Portchester Castle (UK) by 16S rRNA and functional gene analyses. Bacterial and archaeal communities from the exfoliated sites were distinctly different from the dark encrustation. Detected genera were linked to extreme environmental conditions, various potential functional roles and degradation abilities. From these data it was possible to reconstruct almost complete nitrogen and sulfur cycles, as well as autotrophic carbon fixation and mineral transformation processes. Analysis of RNA showed that many of the detected genera in these nutrient cycles were probably active in situ. Thus, CH stonework microbial communities are highly diverse and potentially self-sustaining ecosystems capable of cycling carbon, nitrogen and sulfur as well as the stone biodeterioration processes that lead to alterations such as exfoliation and corrosion. These results highlight the importance of diversity and internal recycling capacity in the development of microbial communities in harsh and low energy systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Zanardini
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
- Department of Science and High TechnologyUniversity of InsubriaComoItaly
| | - Eric May
- School of Biological SciencesUniversity of PortsmouthPortsmouthUK
| | | | - J. Colin Murrell
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of East AngliaNorwichUK
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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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Archer SDJ, de los Ríos A, Lee KC, Niederberger TS, Cary SC, Coyne KJ, Douglas S, Lacap-Bugler DC, Pointing SB. Endolithic microbial diversity in sandstone and granite from the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica. Polar Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00300-016-2024-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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