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León-Sobrino C, Ramond JB, Coclet C, Kapitango RM, Maggs-Kölling G, Cowan D. Temporal dynamics of microbial transcription in wetted hyperarid desert soils. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2024; 100:fiae009. [PMID: 38299778 PMCID: PMC10913055 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiae009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Rainfall is rare in hyperarid deserts but, when it occurs, it triggers large biological responses essential for the long-term maintenance of the ecosystem. In drylands, microbes play major roles in nutrient cycling, but their responses to short-lived opportunity windows are poorly understood. Due to its ephemeral nature, mRNA is ideally suited to study microbiome dynamics upon abrupt changes in the environment. We analyzed microbial community transcriptomes after simulated rainfall in a Namib Desert soil over 7 days. Using total mRNA from dry and watered plots we infer short-term functional responses in the microbiome. A rapid two-phase cycle of activation and return to basal state was completed in a short period. Motility systems activated immediately, whereas competition-toxicity increased in parallel to predator taxa and the drying of soils. Carbon fixation systems were downregulated, and reactivated upon return to a near-dry state. The chaperone HSP20 was markedly regulated by watering across all major bacteria, suggesting a particularly important role in adaptation to desiccated ecosystems. We show that transcriptomes provide consistent and high resolution information on microbiome processes in a low-biomass environment, revealing shared patterns across taxa. We propose a structured dispersal-predation dynamic as a central driver of desert microbial responses to rainfall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos León-Sobrino
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
- The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ramond
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
- Extreme Ecosystem Microbiomics and Ecogenomics (E²ME) Lab., Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Clément Coclet
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, 0002 Pretoria, South Africa
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Martínez-Alvarez L, Ramond JB, Vikram S, León-Sobrino C, Maggs-Kölling G, Cowan DA. With a pinch of salt: metagenomic insights into Namib Desert salt pan microbial mats and halites reveal functionally adapted and competitive communities. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0062923. [PMID: 37971255 PMCID: PMC10734447 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00629-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The hyperarid Namib Desert is one of the oldest deserts on Earth. It contains multiple clusters of playas which are saline-rich springs surrounded by halite evaporites. Playas are of great ecological importance, and their indigenous (poly)extremophilic microorganisms are potentially involved in the precipitation of minerals such as carbonates and sulfates and have been of great biotechnological importance. While there has been a considerable amount of microbial ecology research performed on various Namib Desert edaphic microbiomes, little is known about the microbial communities inhabiting its multiple playas. In this work, we provide a comprehensive taxonomic and functional potential characterization of the microbial, including viral, communities of sediment mats and halites from two distant salt pans of the Namib Desert, contributing toward a better understanding of the ecology of this biome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Martínez-Alvarez
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ramond
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Extreme Ecosystem Microbiomics & Ecogenomics (E²ME) Lab., Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Surendra Vikram
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Carlos León-Sobrino
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Don A. Cowan
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Chhiba V, Pillay P, Mtimka S, Moonsamy G, Kwezi L, Pooe OJ, Tsekoa TL. South Africa's indigenous microbial diversity for industrial applications: A review of the current status and opportunities. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16723. [PMID: 37484259 PMCID: PMC10360602 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The unique metagenomic, metaviromic libraries and indigenous micro diversity within Southern Africa have the potential for global beneficiation in academia and industry. Microorganisms that flourish at high temperatures, adverse pH conditions, and high salinity are likely to have enzyme systems that function efficiently under those conditions. These attributes afford researchers and industries alternative approaches that could replace existing chemical processes. Thus, a better understanding of African microbial/genetic diversity is crucial for the development of "greener" industries. A concerted drive to exploit the potential locked in biological resources has been previously seen with companies such as Diversa Incorporated and Verenium (Badische Anilin-und SodaFabrik-BASF) both building business models that pioneered the production of high-performance specialty enzymes for a variety of different industrial applications. The market potential and accompanying industry offerings have not been fully exploited in South Africa, nor in Africa at large. Utilization of the continent's indigenous microbial repositories could create long-lasting, sustainable growth in various production sectors, providing economic growth in resource-poor regions. By bolstering local manufacture of high-value bio-based products, scientific and engineering discoveries have the potential to generate new industries which in turn would provide employment avenues for many skilled and unskilled laborers. The positive implications of this could play a role in altering the face of business markets on the continent from costly import-driven markets to income-generating export markets. This review focuses on identifying microbially diverse areas located in South Africa while providing a profile for all associated microbial/genetically derived libraries in this country. A comprehensive list of all the relevant researchers and potential key players is presented, mapping out existing research networks for the facilitation of collaboration. The overall aim of this review is to facilitate a coordinated journey of exploration, one which will hopefully realize the value that South Africa's microbial diversity has to offer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha Chhiba
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Priyen Pillay
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sibongile Mtimka
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, Discipline of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Ghaneshree Moonsamy
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Lusisizwe Kwezi
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ofentse J. Pooe
- School of Life Sciences, Discipline of Biochemistry, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Tsepo L. Tsekoa
- Future Production: Chemicals Cluster, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Pretoria, South Africa
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Langlois V, Girard C, Vincent WF, Culley AI. A Tale of Two Seasons: Distinct Seasonal Viral Communities in a Thermokarst Lake. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020428. [PMID: 36838393 PMCID: PMC9964402 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020428] [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: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Thermokarst lakes are important features of subarctic landscapes and are a substantial source of greenhouse gases, although the extent of gas produced varies seasonally. Microbial communities are responsible for the production of methane and CO2 but the "top down" forces that influence microbial dynamics (i.e., grazers and viruses) and how they vary temporally within these lakes are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine viral diversity over time to elucidate the seasonal structure of the viral communities in thermokarst lakes. We produced virus-enriched metagenomes from a subarctic peatland thermokarst lake in the summer and winter over three years. The vast majority of vOTUs assigned to viral families belonged to Caudovirales (Caudoviricetes), notably the morphological groups myovirus, siphovirus and podovirus. We identified two distinct communities: a dynamic, seasonal community in the oxygenated surface layer during the summer and a stable community found in the anoxic water layer at the bottom of the lake in summer and throughout much of the water column in winter. Comparison with other permafrost and northern lake metagenomes highlighted the distinct composition of viral communities in this permafrost thaw lake ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Langlois
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre D’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik International Research Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Catherine Girard
- Centre D’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Warwick F. Vincent
- Centre D’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik International Research Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Département de Biologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Alexander I. Culley
- Département de Biochimie, de Microbiologie et de Bio-Informatique, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre D’études Nordiques (CEN), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Takuvik International Research Laboratory, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence:
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Busse L, Tisza M, DiRuggiero J. Viruses Ubiquity and Diversity in Atacama Desert Endolithic Communities. Viruses 2022; 14:v14091983. [PMID: 36146789 PMCID: PMC9500819 DOI: 10.3390/v14091983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are key players in the environment, and recent metagenomic studies have revealed their diversity and genetic complexity. Despite progress in understanding the ecology of viruses in extreme environments, viruses’ dynamics and functional roles in dryland ecosystems, which cover about 45% of the Earth’s land surfaces, remain largely unexplored. This study characterizes virus sequences in the metagenomes of endolithic (within rock) microbial communities ubiquitously found in hyper-arid deserts. Taxonomic classification and network construction revealed the presence of novel and diverse viruses in communities inhabiting calcite, gypsum, and ignimbrite rocks. Viral genome maps show a high level of protein diversity within and across endolithic communities and the presence of virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes. Phage-host relationships were predicted by matching tRNA, CRISPR spacer, and protein sequences in the viral and microbial metagenomes. Primary producers and heterotrophic bacteria were found to be putative hosts to some viruses. Intriguingly, viral diversity was not correlated with microbial diversity across rock substrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leora Busse
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Mike Tisza
- The Alkek Center for Metagenomics and Microbiome Research, Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jocelyne DiRuggiero
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
- Correspondence:
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Hillary LS, Adriaenssens EM, Jones DL, McDonald JE. RNA-viromics reveals diverse communities of soil RNA viruses with the potential to affect grassland ecosystems across multiple trophic levels. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2022; 2:34. [PMID: 36373138 PMCID: PMC8992426 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-022-00110-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The distribution and diversity of RNA viruses in soil ecosystems are largely unknown, despite their significant impact on public health, ecosystem functions, and food security. Here, we characterise soil RNA viral communities along an altitudinal productivity gradient of peat, managed grassland and coastal soils. We identified 3462 viral contigs in RNA viromes from purified virus-like-particles in five soil-types and assessed their spatial distribution, phylogenetic diversity and potential host ranges. Soil types exhibited minimal similarity in viral community composition, but with >10-fold more viral contigs shared between managed grassland soils when compared with peat or coastal soils. Phylogenetic analyses predicted soil RNA viral communities are formed from viruses of bacteria, plants, fungi, vertebrates and invertebrates, with only 12% of viral contigs belonging to the bacteria-infecting Leviviricetes class. 11% of viral contigs were found to be most closely related to members of the Ourmiavirus genus, suggesting that members of this clade of plant viruses may be far more widely distributed and diverse than previously thought. These results contrast with soil DNA viromes which are typically dominated by bacteriophages. RNA viral communities, therefore, have the potential to exert influence on inter-kingdom interactions across terrestrial biomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke S. Hillary
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW UK
| | | | - David L. Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW UK
- SoilsWest, Centre for Sustainable Farming Systems, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6105 Australia
| | - James E. McDonald
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW UK
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Dávila-Ramos S, Castelán-Sánchez HG, Martínez-Ávila L, Sánchez-Carbente MDR, Peralta R, Hernández-Mendoza A, Dobson ADW, Gonzalez RA, Pastor N, Batista-García RA. A Review on Viral Metagenomics in Extreme Environments. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2403. [PMID: 31749771 PMCID: PMC6842933 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the biosphere, and have the ability to infect Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes. The virome is estimated to be at least ten times more abundant than the microbiome with 107 viruses per milliliter and 109 viral particles per gram in marine waters and sediments or soils, respectively. Viruses represent a largely unexplored genetic diversity, having an important role in the genomic plasticity of their hosts. Moreover, they also play a significant role in the dynamics of microbial populations. In recent years, metagenomic approaches have gained increasing popularity in the study of environmental viromes, offering the possibility of extending our knowledge related to both virus diversity and their functional characterization. Extreme environments represent an interesting source of both microbiota and their virome due to their particular physicochemical conditions, such as very high or very low temperatures and >1 atm hydrostatic pressures, among others. Despite the fact that some progress has been made in our understanding of the ecology of the microbiota in these habitats, few metagenomic studies have described the viromes present in extreme ecosystems. Thus, limited advances have been made in our understanding of the virus community structure in extremophilic ecosystems, as well as in their biotechnological potential. In this review, we critically analyze recent progress in metagenomic based approaches to explore the viromes in extreme environments and we discuss the potential for new discoveries, as well as methodological challenges and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Dávila-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Hugo G. Castelán-Sánchez
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Liliana Martínez-Ávila
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | | | - Raúl Peralta
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Armando Hernández-Mendoza
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Alan D. W. Dobson
- School of Microbiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Ramón A. Gonzalez
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Nina Pastor
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Ramón Alberto Batista-García
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigación en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Cuernavaca, Mexico
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Abstract
The Namib Desert is one of the world's only truly coastal desert ecosystem. Until the end of the 1st decade of the twenty-first century, very little was known of the microbiology of this southwestern African desert, with the few reported studies being based solely on culture-dependent approaches. However, from 2010, an intense research program was undertaken by researchers from the University of the Western Cape Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, and subsequently the University of Pretoria Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics, and their collaborators, led to a more detailed understanding of the ecology of the indigenous microbial communities in many Namib Desert biotopes. Namib Desert soils and the associated specialized niche communities are inhabited by a wide array of prokaryotic, lower eukaryotic and virus/phage taxa. These communities are highly heterogeneous on both small and large spatial scales, with community composition impacted by a range of macro- and micro-environmental factors, from water regime to soil particle size. Community functionality is also surprisingly non-homogeneous, with some taxa retaining functionality even under hyper-arid soil conditions, and with subtle changes in gene expression and phylotype abundances even on diel timescales. Despite the growing understanding of the structure and function of Namib Desert microbiomes, there remain enormous gaps in our knowledge. We have yet to quantify many of the processes in these soil communities, from regional nutrient cycling to community growth rates. Despite the progress that has been made, we still have little knowledge of either the role of phages in microbial community dynamics or inter-species interactions. Furthermore, the intense research efforts of the past decade have highlighted the immense scope for future microbiological research in this dynamic, enigmatic and charismatic region of Africa.
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Scola V, Ramond JB, Frossard A, Zablocki O, Adriaenssens EM, Johnson RM, Seely M, Cowan DA. Namib Desert Soil Microbial Community Diversity, Assembly, and Function Along a Natural Xeric Gradient. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2018; 75:193-203. [PMID: 28647755 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1009-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The hyperarid Namib desert is a coastal desert in southwestern Africa and one of the oldest and driest deserts on the planet. It is characterized by a west/east increasing precipitation gradient and by regular coastal fog events (extending up to 75 km inland) that can also provide soil moisture. In this study, we evaluated the role of this natural aridity and xeric gradient on edaphic microbial community structure and function in the Namib desert. A total of 80 individual soil samples were collected at 10-km intervals along a 190-km transect from the fog-dominated western coastal region to the eastern desert boundary. Seventeen physicochemical parameters were measured for each soil sample. Soil parameters reflected the three a priori defined climatic/xeric zones along the transect ("fog," "low rain," and "high rain"). Microbial community structures were characterized by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism fingerprinting and shotgun metaviromics, and their functional capacities were determined by extracellular enzyme activity assays. Both microbial community structures and activities differed significantly between the three xeric zones. The deep sequencing of surface soil metavirome libraries also showed shifts in viral composition along the xeric transect. While bacterial community assembly was influenced by soil chemistry and stochasticity along the transect, variations in community "function" were apparently tuned by xeric stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Scola
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Jean-Baptiste Ramond
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Aline Frossard
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Zablocki
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Evelien M Adriaenssens
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Riegardt M Johnson
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Mary Seely
- Gobabeb Research and Training Centre, Walvis Bay, Namibia
- Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN), Windhoek, Namibia
| | - Don A Cowan
- Centre for Microbial Ecology and Genomics (CMEG), Department of Genetics, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
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