Taxonomic and functional analyses of intact microbial communities thriving in extreme, astrobiology-relevant, anoxic sites
Posted on 2021-04-16 - 10:36
Abstract Background Extreme terrestrial, analogue environments are widely used models to study the limits of life and to infer habitability of extraterrestrial settings. In contrast to Earth’s ecosystems, potential extraterrestrial biotopes are usually characterized by a lack of oxygen. Methods In the MASE project (Mars Analogues for Space Exploration), we selected representative anoxic analogue environments (permafrost, salt-mine, acidic lake and river, sulfur springs) for the comprehensive analysis of their microbial communities. We assessed the microbiome profile of intact cells by propidium monoazide-based amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing, supplemented with an extensive cultivation effort. Results The information retrieved from microbiome analyses on the intact microbial community thriving in the MASE sites, together with the isolation of 31 model microorganisms and successful binning of 15 high-quality genomes allowed us to observe principle pathways, which pinpoint specific microbial functions in the MASE sites compared to moderate environments. The microorganisms were characterized by an impressive machinery to withstand physical and chemical pressures. All levels of our analyses revealed the strong and omnipresent dependency of the microbial communities on complex organic matter. Moreover, we identified an extremotolerant cosmopolitan group of 34 poly-extremophiles thriving in all sites. Conclusions Our results reveal the presence of a core microbiome and microbial taxonomic similarities between saline and acidic anoxic environments. Our work further emphasizes the importance of the environmental, terrestrial parameters for the functionality of a microbial community, but also reveals a high proportion of living microorganisms in extreme environments with a high adaptation potential within habitability borders. Video abstract
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Bashir, Alexandra Kristin; Wink, Lisa; Duller, Stefanie; Schwendner, Petra; Cockell, Charles; Rettberg, Petra; et al. (2021). Taxonomic and functional analyses of intact microbial communities thriving in extreme, astrobiology-relevant, anoxic sites. figshare. Collection. https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5311284.v1
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AUTHORS (28)
AB
Alexandra Kristin Bashir
LW
Lisa Wink
SD
Stefanie Duller
PS
Petra Schwendner
CC
Charles Cockell
PR
Petra Rettberg
AM
Alexander Mahnert
KB
Kristina Beblo-Vranesevic
MB
Maria Bohmeier
ER
Elke Rabbow
FG
Frederic Gaboyer
FW
Frances Westall
NW
Nicolas Walter
PC
Patricia Cabezas
LG
Laura Garcia-Descalzo
FG
Felipe Gomez
MM
Mustapha Malki
RA
Ricardo Amils
PE
Pascale Ehrenfreund
EM
Euan Monaghan