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Filippidou S, Price A, Spencer-Jones C, Scales A, Macey MC, Franchi F, Lebogang L, Cavalazzi B, Schwenzer SP, Olsson-Francis K. Diversity of Microbial Mats in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, Botswana. Microorganisms 2024; 12:147. [PMID: 38257974 PMCID: PMC10818877 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12010147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The Makgadikgadi Salt Pans are the remnants of a mega paleo-lake system in the central Kalahari, Botswana. Today, the Makgadikgadi Basin is an arid to semi-arid area receiving water of meteoric origin during the short, wet season. Large microbial mats, which support primary production, are formed due to desiccation during the dry season. This study aimed to characterise the microbial diversity of the microbial mats and the underlying sediment. The focus was the Ntwetwe Pan, located west of the Makgadikgadi Basin. Metagenomic analyses demonstrated that the mats consisted of a high relative abundance of Cyanobacteriota (synonym Cyanobacteria) (20.50-41.47%), Pseudomonadota (synonym Proteobacteria) (15.71 to 32.18%), and Actinomycetota (synonym Actinobacteria) (8.53-32.56%). In the underlying sediments, Pseudomonadota, Actinomycetota, and Euryarchaeota represented over 70% of the community. Localised fluctuations in water content and pH did not significantly affect the microbial diversity of the sediment or the mats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sevasti Filippidou
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
- School of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Alex Price
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Charlotte Spencer-Jones
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Anthony Scales
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Michael C. Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Fulvio Franchi
- Earth and Environmental Science Department, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye 10071, Botswana;
- School of Geosciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2001, South Africa
| | - Lesedi Lebogang
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Palapye 10071, Botswana;
| | - Barbara Cavalazzi
- Department of Biological, Geological, and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
- Department of Geology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg 2006, South Africa
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Karen Olsson-Francis
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (S.F.); (A.P.); (C.S.-J.); (A.S.); (M.C.M.); (S.P.S.)
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