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Castro-Severyn J, Fortt J, Sierralta M, Alegria P, Donoso G, Choque A, Avellaneda AM, Pardo-Esté C, Saavedra CP, Stoll A, Remonsellez F. Rhizospheric bacteria from the Atacama Desert hyper-arid core: cultured community dynamics and plant growth promotion. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0005624. [PMID: 38687070 PMCID: PMC11237387 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00056-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The Atacama Desert is the oldest and driest desert on Earth, encompassing great temperature variations, high ultraviolet radiation, drought, and high salinity, making it ideal for studying the limits of life and resistance strategies. It is also known for harboring a great biodiversity of adapted life forms. While desertification is increasing as a result of climate change and human activities, it is necessary to optimize soil and water usage, where stress-resistant crops are possible solutions. As many studies have revealed the great impact of the rhizobiome on plant growth efficiency and resistance to abiotic stress, we set up to explore the rhizospheric soils of Suaeda foliosa and Distichlis spicata desert plants. By culturing these soils and using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, we address community taxonomy composition dynamics, stability through time, and the ability to promote lettuce plant growth. The rhizospheric soil communities were dominated by the families Pseudomonadaceae, Bacillaceae, and Planococcaceae for S. foliosa and Porphyromonadaceae and Haloferacaceae for D. spicata. Nonetheless, the cultures were completely dominated by the Enterobacteriaceae family (up to 98%). Effectively, lettuce plants supplemented with the cultures showed greater size and biomass accumulation. We identified 12 candidates that could be responsible for these outcomes, of which 5 (Enterococcus, Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Paenisporosarcina, and Ammoniphilus) were part of the built co-occurrence network. We aim to contribute to the efforts to characterize the microbial communities as key for the plant's survival in extreme environments and as a possible source of consortia with plant growth promotion traits aimed at agricultural applications.IMPORTANCEThe current scenario of climate change and desertification represents a series of incoming challenges for all living organisms. As the human population grows rapidly, so does the rising demand for food and natural resources; thus, it is necessary to make agriculture more efficient by optimizing soil and water usage, thus ensuring future food supplies. Particularly, the Atacama Desert (northern Chile) is considered the most arid place on Earth as a consequence of geological and climatic characteristics, such as the naturally low precipitation patterns and high temperatures, which makes it an ideal place to carry out research that seeks to aid agriculture in future conditions that are predicted to resemble these scenarios. Our main interest lies in utilizing microorganism consortia from plants thriving under extreme conditions, aiming to promote plant growth, improve crops, and render "unsuitable" soils farmable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Castro-Severyn
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua y Sustentabilidad en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Jonathan Fortt
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Mariela Sierralta
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Paola Alegria
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Gabriel Donoso
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Alessandra Choque
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Andrea M. Avellaneda
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua y Sustentabilidad en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Coral Pardo-Esté
- Laboratorio de Ecología Molecular y Microbiología Aplicada, Departamento de Ciencias Farmacéuticas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Claudia P. Saavedra
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexandra Stoll
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada, Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas CEAZA, La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Investigación Multidisciplinar en Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad de la Serena, La Serena, Chile
| | - Francisco Remonsellez
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Aplicada y Extremófilos, Departamento de Ingeniería Química y de Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Centro de Investigación Tecnológica del Agua y Sustentabilidad en el Desierto-CEITSAZA, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
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Moreno-Paz M, dos Santos Severino RS, Sánchez-García L, Manchado JM, García-Villadangos M, Aguirre J, Fernández-Martínez MA, Carrizo D, Kobayashi L, Dave A, Warren-Rhodes K, Davila A, Stoker CR, Glass B, Parro V. Life Detection and Microbial Biomarker Profiling with Signs of Life Detector-Life Detector Chip During a Mars Drilling Simulation Campaign in the Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert. ASTROBIOLOGY 2023; 23:1259-1283. [PMID: 37930382 PMCID: PMC10825288 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2021.0174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The low organic matter content in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, together with abrupt temperature shifts and high ultraviolet radiation at its surface, makes this region one of the best terrestrial analogs of Mars and one of the best scenarios for testing instrumentation devoted to in situ planetary exploration. We have operated remotely and autonomously the SOLID-LDChip (Signs of Life Detector-Life Detector Chip), an antibody microarray-based sensor instrument, as part of a rover payload during the 2019 NASA Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) Mars drilling simulation campaign. A robotic arm collected drilled cuttings down to 80 cm depth and loaded SOLID to process and assay them with LDChip for searching for molecular biomarkers. A remote science team received and analyzed telemetry data and LDChip results. The data revealed the presence of microbial markers from Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria to be relatively more abundant in the middle layer (40-50 cm). In addition, the detection of several proteins from nitrogen metabolism indicates a pivotal role in the system. These findings were corroborated and complemented on "returned samples" to the lab by a comprehensive analysis that included DNA sequencing, metaproteomics, and a metabolic reconstruction of the sampled area. Altogether, the results describe a relatively complex microbial community with members capable of nitrogen fixation and denitrification, sulfur oxidation and reduction, or triggering oxidative stress responses, among other traits. This remote operation demonstrated the high maturity of SOLID-LDChip as a powerful tool for remote in situ life detection for future missions in the Solar System.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercedes Moreno-Paz
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rita Sofia dos Santos Severino
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Departament of Física y Matemáticas y de Automática, University of Alcalá de Henares (UAH), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Sánchez-García
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Manuel Manchado
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Jacobo Aguirre
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Miguel Angel Fernández-Martínez
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Québec, Canada
| | - Daniel Carrizo
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Linda Kobayashi
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Arwen Dave
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Kim Warren-Rhodes
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
- Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Alfonso Davila
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Carol R. Stoker
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Brian Glass
- Space Science Division and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA
| | - Víctor Parro
- Department of Molecular Evolution, Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), INTA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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Demergasso C, Neilson JW, Tebes-Cayo C, Véliz R, Ayma D, Laubitz D, Barberán A, Chong-Díaz G, Maier RM. Hyperarid soil microbial community response to simulated rainfall. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1202266. [PMID: 37779711 PMCID: PMC10537920 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1202266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The exceptionally long and protracted aridity in the Atacama Desert (AD), Chile, provides an extreme, terrestrial ecosystem that is ideal for studying microbial community dynamics under hyperarid conditions. Our aim was to characterize the temporal response of hyperarid soil AD microbial communities to ex situ simulated rainfall (5% g water/g dry soil for 4 weeks) without nutrient amendment. We conducted replicated microcosm experiments with surface soils from two previously well-characterized AD hyperarid locations near Yungay at 1242 and 1609 masl (YUN1242 and YUN1609) with distinct microbial community compositions and average soil relative humidity levels of 21 and 17%, respectively. The bacterial and archaeal response to soil wetting was evaluated by 16S rRNA gene qPCR, and amplicon sequencing. Initial YUN1242 bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA gene copy numbers were significantly higher than for YUN1609. Over the next 4 weeks, qPCR results showed significant increases in viable bacterial abundance, whereas archaeal abundance decreased. Both communities were dominated by 10 prokaryotic phyla (Actinobacteriota, Proteobacteria, Chloroflexota, Gemmatimonadota, Firmicutes, Bacteroidota, Planctomycetota, Nitrospirota, Cyanobacteriota, and Crenarchaeota) but there were significant site differences in the relative abundances of Gemmatimonadota and Chloroflexota, and specific actinobacterial orders. The response to simulated rainfall was distinct for the two communities. The actinobacterial taxa in the YUN1242 community showed rapid changes while the same taxa in the YUN1609 community remained relatively stable until day 30. Analysis of inferred function of the YUN1242 microbiome response implied an increase in the relative abundance of known spore-forming taxa with the capacity for mixotrophy at the expense of more oligotrophic taxa, whereas the YUN1609 community retained a stable profile of oligotrophic, facultative chemolithoautotrophic and mixotrophic taxa. These results indicate that bacterial communities in extreme hyperarid soils have the capacity for growth in response to simulated rainfall; however, historic variations in long-term hyperaridity exposure produce communities with distinct putative metabolic capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Demergasso
- Biotechnology Center “Profesor Alberto Ruíz”, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Julia W. Neilson
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Cinthya Tebes-Cayo
- Biotechnology Center “Profesor Alberto Ruíz”, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Engineering and Geological Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Roberto Véliz
- Biotechnology Center “Profesor Alberto Ruíz”, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Diego Ayma
- Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Daniel Laubitz
- Steele Steele Children’s Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Albert Barberán
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Guillermo Chong-Díaz
- Department of Geology, Faculty of Engineering and Geological Sciences, Universidad Católica del Norte, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Raina M. Maier
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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Coleine C, Delgado-Baquerizo M. Unearthing terrestrial extreme microbiomes for searching terrestrial-like life in the Solar System. Trends Microbiol 2022; 30:1101-1115. [PMID: 35568658 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The possibility of life elsewhere in the universe has fascinated humankind for ages. To the best of our knowledge, life, as we know it, is limited to planet Earth; yet current investigation suggests that life might be more common than previously thought. In this review, we explore extreme terrestrial analogue environments in the search for some notable examples of extreme organisms, including overlooked microbial groups such as viruses, fungi, and protists, associated with limits of life on Earth. This knowledge is integral to provide the foundational principles needed to predict what sort of Earth-like organisms we might find in the Solar System and beyond, and to understand the future and origins of life on Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Coleine
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy.
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico. Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Av. Reina Mercedes 10, E-41012, Sevilla, Spain; Unidad Asociada CSIC-UPO (BioFun). Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain.
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5
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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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Aerts JW, Riedo A, Melton DJ, Martini S, Flahaut J, Meierhenrich UJ, Meinert C, Myrgorodska I, Lindner R, Ehrenfreund P. Biosignature Analysis of Mars Soil Analogs from the Atacama Desert: Challenges and Implications for Future Missions to Mars. ASTROBIOLOGY 2020; 20:766-784. [PMID: 32167834 DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The detection of biosignatures on Mars is of outstanding interest in the current field of astrobiology and drives various fields of research, ranging from new sample collection strategies to the development of more sensitive detection techniques. Detailed analysis of the organic content in Mars analog materials collected from extreme environments on Earth improves the current understanding of biosignature preservation and detection under conditions similar to those of Mars. In this article, we examined the biological fingerprint of several locations in the Atacama Desert (Chile), which include different wet and dry, and intermediate to high elevation salt flats (also named salars). Liquid chromatography and multidimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometry measurement techniques were used for the detection and analysis of amino acids extracted from the salt crusts and sediments by using sophisticated extraction procedures. Illumina 16S amplicon sequencing was used for the identification of microbial communities associated with the different sample locations. Although amino acid load and organic carbon and nitrogen quantities were generally low, it was found that most of the samples harbored complex and versatile microbial communities, which were dominated by (extremely) halophilic microorganisms (most notably by species of the Archaeal family Halobacteriaceae). The dominance of salts (i.e., halites and sulfates) in the investigated samples leaves its mark on the composition of the microbial communities but does not appear to hinder the potential of life to flourish since it can clearly adapt to the higher concentrations. Although the Atacama Desert is one of the driest and harshest environments on Earth, it is shown that there are still sub-locations where life is able to maintain a foothold, and, as such, salt flats could be considered as interesting targets for future life exploration missions on Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost W Aerts
- Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andreas Riedo
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel J Melton
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Simone Martini
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jessica Flahaut
- CRPG, CNRS/University of Lorraine, Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France
| | - Uwe J Meierhenrich
- CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | - Cornelia Meinert
- CNRS, Institut de Chimie de Nice UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, Nice, France
| | | | - Robert Lindner
- Life Support and Physical Sciences Instrumentation Section, European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
| | - Pascale Ehrenfreund
- Astrobiology Laboratory, Sackler Laboratory for Astrophysics, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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7
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Ruginescu R, Purcărea C, Dorador C, Lavin P, Cojoc R, Neagu S, Lucaci I, Enache M. Exploring the hydrolytic potential of cultured halophilic bacteria isolated from the Atacama Desert. FEMS Microbiol Lett 2019; 366:5613365. [DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnz224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACTConsidering that most industrial processes are carried out under harsh physicochemical conditions, which would inactivate enzymes from commonly isolated mesophilic organisms, current studies are geared toward the identification of extremophilic microorganisms producing enzymes resistant to extreme salt concentrations, temperature and pH. Among the extremophiles, halophilic microorganisms are an important source of salt-tolerant enzymes that can be used in varying biotechnological applications. In this context, the aim of the present work was to isolate and identify halophiles producing hydrolases from the Atacama Desert, one of the harshest environments on Earth. Isolates were recovered from halite samples and screened for the presence of seven different hydrolase activities (amylase, caseinase, gelatinase, lipase, pectinase, cellulase and inulinase) using agar plate-based assays. From a total of 23 halophilic bacterial isolates, most showed lipolytic (19 strains) and pectinolytic (11 strains) activities. The molecular identification of eight selected isolates showed a strong similarity to members of the Halomonas and Idiomarina genera. Therefore, the present study represents a preliminary, but essential, step to identify novel biological sources of extremozymes in an environment once thought to be devoid of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Ruginescu
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Cristina Purcărea
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, 601 Angamos Av., Antofagasta, 1240000, Chile
| | - Paris Lavin
- Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta, Universidad de Antofagasta, 601 Angamos Av., Antofagasta, 1240000, Chile
| | - Roxana Cojoc
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Simona Neagu
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Ioana Lucaci
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
| | - Mădălin Enache
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biology Bucharest of the Romanian Academy, 296 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, 060031, Romania
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8
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Shen J, Zerkle AL, Stueeken E, Claire MW. Nitrates as a Potential N Supply for Microbial Ecosystems in a Hyperarid Mars Analog System. Life (Basel) 2019; 9:life9040079. [PMID: 31635024 PMCID: PMC6958444 DOI: 10.3390/life9040079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrate is common in Mars sediments owing to long-term atmospheric photolysis, oxidation, and potentially, impact shock heating. The Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest region on Earth and rich in nitrate deposits, is used as a Mars analog in this study to explore the potential effects of high nitrate levels on growth of extremophilic ecosystems. Seven study sites sampled across an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert were categorized into 3 clusters—hyperarid, middle, and arid sites—as defined by essential soil physical and chemical properties. Intriguingly, the distribution of nitrate concentrations in the shallow subsurface suggests that the buildup of nitrate is not solely controlled by precipitation. Correlations of nitrate with SiO2/Al2O3 and grain sizes suggest that sedimentation rates may also be important in controlling nitrate distribution. At arid sites receiving more than 10 mm/yr precipitation, rainfall shows a stronger impact on biomass than nitrate does. However, high nitrate to organic carbon ratios are generally beneficial to N assimilation, as evidenced both by soil geochemistry and enriched culturing experiments. This study suggests that even in the absence of precipitation, nitrate levels on a more recent, hyperarid Mars could be sufficiently high to benefit potentially extant Martian microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxun Shen
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, Scotland, UK.
| | - Aubrey L Zerkle
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, Scotland, UK.
| | - Eva Stueeken
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, Scotland, UK.
| | - Mark W Claire
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences and Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, Scotland, UK.
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9
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Contador CA, Veas-Castillo L, Tapia E, Antipán M, Miranda N, Ruiz-Tagle B, García-Araya J, Andrews BA, Marin M, Dorador C, Asenjo JA. Atacama Database: a platform of the microbiome of the Atacama Desert. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek 2019; 113:185-195. [PMID: 31535335 DOI: 10.1007/s10482-019-01328-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The Atacama Desert is one of the oldest and driest places on Earth. In the last decade, microbial richness and diversity has been acknowledged as an important biological resource of this region. Owing to the value of the microbial diversity apparent in potential biotechnology applications and conservation purposes, it is necessary to catalogue these microbial communities to promote research activities and help to preserve the wide range of ecological niches of the Atacama region. A prototype Atacama Database has been designed and it provides a description of the rich microbial diversity of the Atacama Desert, and helps to visualise available literature resources. Data has been collected, curated, and organised into several categories to generate a single record for each organism in the database that covers classification, isolation metadata, morphology, physiology, genome and metabolism information. The current version of Atacama Database contains 2302 microorganisms and includes cultured and uncultured organisms retrieved from different environments within the desert between 1984 and 2016. These organisms are distributed in bacterial, archaeal or eukaryotic domains, along with those that are unclassified taxonomically. The initial prototype of the Atacama Database includes a basic search and taxonomic and advanced search tools to allow identification and comparison of microbial populations, and space distribution within this biome. A geolocation search was implemented to visualise the microbial diversity of the ecological niches defined by sectors and extract general information of the sampling sites. This effort will aid understanding of the microbial ecology of the desert, microbial population dynamics, seasonal behaviour, impact of climate change over time, and reveal further biotechnological applications of these microorganisms. The Atacama Database is freely available at: https://www.atacamadb.cl.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina A Contador
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Luis Veas-Castillo
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Departamento de Ingeniería Informática (DIINF), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Emilio Tapia
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Departamento de Ingeniería Informática (DIINF), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Marcela Antipán
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Noemi Miranda
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín Ruiz-Tagle
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Departamento de Ingeniería Informática (DIINF), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jonathan García-Araya
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta & Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Barbara A Andrews
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
| | - Mauricio Marin
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Departamento de Ingeniería Informática (DIINF), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Cristina Dorador
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Laboratorio de Complejidad Microbiana y Ecología Funcional, Instituto Antofagasta & Departamento de Biotecnología, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Recursos Biológicos, Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile
| | - Juan A Asenjo
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Materials, University of Chile, Beauchef 851, 8370456, Santiago, Chile
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Orellana R, Macaya C, Bravo G, Dorochesi F, Cumsille A, Valencia R, Rojas C, Seeger M. Living at the Frontiers of Life: Extremophiles in Chile and Their Potential for Bioremediation. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2309. [PMID: 30425685 PMCID: PMC6218600 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Extremophiles are organisms capable of adjust, survive or thrive in hostile habitats that were previously thought to be adverse or lethal for life. Chile gathers a wide range of extreme environments: salars, geothermal springs, and geysers located at Altiplano and Atacama Desert, salars and cold mountains in Central Chile, and ice fields, cold lakes and fjords, and geothermal sites in Patagonia and Antarctica. The aims of this review are to describe extremophiles that inhabit main extreme biotopes in Chile, and their molecular and physiological capabilities that may be advantageous for bioremediation processes. After briefly describing the main ecological niches of extremophiles along Chilean territory, this review is focused on the microbial diversity and composition of these biotopes microbiomes. Extremophiles have been isolated in diverse zones in Chile that possess extreme conditions such as Altiplano, Atacama Desert, Central Chile, Patagonia, and Antarctica. Interesting extremophiles from Chile with potential biotechnological applications include thermophiles (e.g., Methanofollis tationis from Tatio Geyser), acidophiles (e.g., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Leptospirillum ferriphilum from Atacama Desert and Central Chile copper ores), halophiles (e.g., Shewanella sp. Asc-3 from Altiplano, Streptomyces sp. HKF-8 from Patagonia), alkaliphiles (Exiguobacterium sp. SH31 from Altiplano), xerotolerant bacteria (S. atacamensis from Atacama Desert), UV- and Gamma-resistant bacteria (Deinococcus peraridilitoris from Atacama Desert) and psychrophiles (e.g., Pseudomonas putida ATH-43 from Antarctica). The molecular and physiological properties of diverse extremophiles from Chile and their application in bioremediation or waste treatments are further discussed. Interestingly, the remarkable adaptative capabilities of extremophiles convert them into an attractive source of catalysts for bioremediation and industrial processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Orellana
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Constanza Macaya
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Guillermo Bravo
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Flavia Dorochesi
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Andrés Cumsille
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Ricardo Valencia
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Claudia Rojas
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Michael Seeger
- Laboratorio de Microbiología Molecular y Biotecnología Ambiental, Departamento de Química and Centro de Biotecnología Daniel Alkalay Lowitt, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
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