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Saona LA, Villafañe PG, Carrizo D, Cónsole Gonella C, Néspolo RF, Farías ME. Geomicrobiological characterization of the evaporitic ecosystem in the hypersaline lake Laguna Verde (Andean Puna, Northwestern Argentina). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10931. [PMID: 38348017 PMCID: PMC10859677 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10931] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Laguna Verde's dome-shaped structures are distinctive formations within the Central Andes, displaying unique geomicrobiological features. This study represents a pioneering investigation into these structures, assessing their formation, associated taxa, and ecological significance. Through a multifaceted approach that includes chemical analysis of the water body, multiscale characterization of the domes, and analysis of the associated microorganisms, we reveal the complex interplay between geology and biology in this extreme environment. The lake's alkaline waters that are rich in dissolved cations and anions such as chloride, sodium sulfate, and potassium, coupled with its location at the margin of the Antofalla salt flat, fed by alluvial fans and hydrothermal input, provide favorable conditions for mineral precipitation and support for the microorganism's activity. Laguna Verde's dome-shaped structures are mainly composed of gypsum and halite, displaying an internal heterogeneous mesostructure consisting of three zones: microcrystalline, organic (orange and green layers), and crystalline. The green layer of the organic zone is predominantly composed of Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Cyanobacteria, while the orange layer is mostly inhabited by Cyanobacteria. The results of the study suggest that oxygenic photosynthesis performed by Cyanobacteria is the main carbon fixation pathway in the microbial community, supported by carbon isotopic ratios of specific biomarkers. This finding highlights the important role played by Cyanobacteria in this ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. A. Saona
- Facultad de Química y BiologíaUniversidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH)SantiagoChile
- Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi)ValdiviaChile
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
| | - P. G. Villafañe
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐UNTTucumánArgentina
- GIUV2016‐303, Department of Botany and GeologyUniversitat de ValènciaValènciaEspaña
| | - D. Carrizo
- Centro de AstrobiologíaInstituto Nacional de Técnica AeroespacialMadridEspaña
| | - C. Cónsole Gonella
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐UNTTucumánArgentina
| | - R. F. Néspolo
- Millennium Nucleus of Patagonian Limit of Life (LiLi)ValdiviaChile
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology (iBio)SantiagoChile
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y EvolutivasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
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Ramos-Tapia I, Salinas P, Núñez R, Cortez D, Soto J, Paneque M. Compositional Changes in Sediment Microbiota Are Associated with Seasonal Variation of the Water Column in High-Altitude Hyperarid Andean Lake Systems. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0520022. [PMID: 37102964 PMCID: PMC10269505 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.05200-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The lacustrine systems of La Brava and La Punta, located in the Tilopozo sector in the extreme south of Salar de Atacama, are pristine high-altitude Andean lakes found along the central Andes of South America. This shallow ecosystem suffers from permanent evaporation, leading to falling water levels, causing it to recede or disappear during the dry season. This dynamic causes physicochemical changes in lakes, such as low nutrient availability, pH change, and dissolved metals, which can influence the composition of the microbial community. In this study, we used a metataxonomic approach (16S rRNA hypervariable regions V3 to V4) to characterize the sedimentary microbiota of these lakes. To understand how the water column affects and is structured in the microbiota of these lakes, we combined the analysis of the persistence of the water column through satellite images and physicochemical characterization. Our results show a significant difference in abiotic factors and microbiota composition between La Punta and La Brava lakes. In addition, microbiota analysis revealed compositional changes in the ecological disaggregation (main and isolated bodies) and antagonistic changes in the abundance of certain taxa between lakes. These findings are an invaluable resource for understanding the microbiological diversity of high Andean lakes using a multidisciplinary approach that evaluates the microbiota behavior in response to abiotic factors. IMPORTANCE In this study, we analyzed the persistence of the water column through satellite images and physicochemical characterization to investigate the composition and diversity in High Andean Lake Systems in a hyperarid environment. In addition to the persistence of the water column, this approach can be used to analyze changes in the morphology of saline accumulations and persistence of snow or ice; for example, for establishing variable plant cover over time and evaluating the microbiota associated with soils with seasonal changes in plants. This makes it an ideal approach to search for novel extremophilic microorganisms with unique properties. In our case, it was used to study microorganisms capable of resisting desiccation and water restriction for a considerable period and adapting to survive in ecological niches, such as those with high UV irradiation, extreme drought, and high salt concentration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Ramos-Tapia
- Departamento de Metagenómica, Fundación Bionostra Chile Research, San Miguel, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pamela Salinas
- Departamento de Metagenómica, Fundación Bionostra Chile Research, San Miguel, Santiago, Chile
| | - Reynaldo Núñez
- Departamento de Metagenómica, Fundación Bionostra Chile Research, San Miguel, Santiago, Chile
| | - Donna Cortez
- Departamento de Metagenómica, Fundación Bionostra Chile Research, San Miguel, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jorge Soto
- Departamento de Metagenómica, Fundación Bionostra Chile Research, San Miguel, Santiago, Chile
| | - Manuel Paneque
- Laboratory of Bioenergy and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, La Pintana, Santiago, Chile
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Della Vedova M, Villafañe PG, Cónsole‐Gonella C, Bahniuk Rumbelsperger A, Fadel Cury L, Horta LR, Farías ME. Disentangling microstructure and environmental conditions in high-altitude Andean microbialite systems (Catamarca, Argentine Puna). ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2023; 15:92-108. [PMID: 36192831 PMCID: PMC10103866 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The study of microbialites development is a key tool to understand environmental pathways during deposition. We provide a detailed analysis of modern Central Andean microbialites from high-altitude lakes. The stratigraphic record of Turquesa Lake shows a significant short-term recolonization by microbialite-producing microorganisms during environmental stress. Far from a crisis paradigm, the coasts and paleocoasts of Turquesa lake exhibit three microbialitic buildups formed along different stages, providing a good study case of biological resilience of these systems in harsh environments. The MI and MII microbialite buildups occupied two paleocoasts. Both are composed of oncoids with micritic to microsparitic textures. Morphological, textural and mineralogical similarities between the two buildups suggest that they were formed at different times, but under very similar environmental conditions. The microorganisms that produced the microbialitic buildup MIII are currently colonizing the coast of this lake. The previous oncoid morphology change to a parallel micritic-spartic lamination. This remarkable changes in the microstructure can be explained by an important environmental change caused by the isolation of the Peinado Lake, and a subsequently microorganism adaptation. This microbialite structures can be proposed as an interesting modern analogue for environmental changes along the geological record.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micaela Della Vedova
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - Patricio G. Villafañe
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - Carlos Cónsole‐Gonella
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | | | | | - Luis R. Horta
- Instituto Superior de Correlación Geológica (INSUGEO), CONICET‐ UNTYerba BuenaTucumánArgentina
| | - María E. Farías
- Laboratorio de Investigaciones Microbiológicas en Lagunas Andinas (LIMLA)Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos (PROIMI), CONICETSan Miguel de TucumánTucumánArgentina
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Oehlert AM, Suosaari EP, Kong T, Piggot AM, Maizel D, Lascu I, Demergasso C, Chong Díaz G, Reid RP. Physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks controlling brine geochemistry and lake morphology in polyextreme salar environments. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 836:155378. [PMID: 35489513 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite the harsh environmental conditions in the world's oldest and driest desert, some salt flat or 'salar' environments in the Atacama Desert host standing bodies of water known as saline lakes. Evaporite minerals deposited within saline lakes result from the equilibrium of environmental, sedimentological, and biogeochemical processes that occur in the salar; consequently, these minerals are sensitive records of human activities and ecological, evolutionary, and geological changes. The objective of this study was to evaluate feedbacks between physical, chemical, and microbial processes that culminate in distinct trends in brine chemistry, saline lake morphology, and associated evaporite sediments. Using samples from the Puquios of the Salar de Llamara, Atacama Desert, northern Chile, an analysis of spatial gradients and vertical stratification of lake elemental chemistry and mineral saturation indices were integrated with a comprehensive analysis of lake morphology, including depth, slope gradient, substrate type, and mineralogy. Lake waters ranged from saline to hypersaline, and exhibited normal, well mixed and inverse stratification patterns, and results suggest a correlation with lake morphology in the Salar de Llamara. Saline to hypersaline lakes (>150 mS/cm) with stratified brines tended to have crystalline substrate and deep (>35 cm) and steep-sided lake morphologies, while unstratified lakes with lower electrical conductivity (<90 mS/cm and microbial substrates had gentle slopes and characteristically shallow depths (<30 cm). Differences in minor element chemistry (Mn and Sr) between saline lakes were observed on scales of meters to kilometers, and result in different accessory mineral assemblages. Quantification of the physical, chemical, and microbial feedbacks that produce the observed heterogeneity in these ecosystems provides key insight into the geochemical composition and lake morphology of saline lakes in extreme environments around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Oehlert
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA.
| | - Erica P Suosaari
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Tianshu Kong
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Alan M Piggot
- Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA; AP Research Inc, Miami, FL 33157, USA
| | - Daniela Maizel
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA
| | - Ioan Lascu
- Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
| | - Cecilia Demergasso
- Centro de Biotecnología, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Guillermo Chong Díaz
- Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - R Pamela Reid
- Department of Marine Geosciences, Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33149, USA; Bahamas Marine EcoCentre, Miami, FL 33156, USA
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Community Vertical Composition of the Laguna Negra Hypersaline Microbial Mat, Puna Region (Argentinean Andes). BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060831. [PMID: 35741352 PMCID: PMC9220024 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The Altiplano-Puna region is a high-altitude plateau in South America characterized by extreme conditions, including the highest UV incidence on Earth. The Laguna Negra is a hypersaline lake located in the Catamarca Province, northwestern Argentina, where stromatolites and other microbialites are found, and where life is mostly restricted to microbial mats. In this study, a particular microbial mat that covers the shore of the lake was explored, to unravel its layer-by-layer vertical structure in response to the environmental stressors therein. Microbial community composition was assessed by high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing and pigment content analyses, complemented with microscopy tools to characterize its spatial arrangement within the mat. The top layer of the mat has a remarkable UV-tolerance feature, characterized by the presence of Deinococcus-Thermus and deinoxanthin, which might reflect a shielding strategy to cope with high UV radiation. Chloroflexi and Deltaproteobacteria were abundant in the second and third underlying layers, respectively. The bottom layer harbors copious Halanaerobiaeota. Subspherical aggregates composed of calcite, extracellular polymeric substances, abundant diatoms, and other microorganisms were observed all along the mat as the main structural component. This detailed study provides insights into the strategies of microbial communities to thrive under high UV radiation and hypersalinity in high-altitude lakes in the Altiplano-Puna region.
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