Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
The McMurdo Dry Valleys region of eastern Antarctica is a cold desert that presents extreme challenges to life. Hypolithic microbial colonisation of the subsoil surfaces of translucent quartz rocks represent a significant source of terrestrial biomass and productivity in this region. Previous studie...
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2011
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257 |
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ftunivhongkonghu:oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/179257 2023-05-15T13:55:22+02:00 Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica Tuffin, M Stafford, W Cary, C Lacap, DC Pointing, SB Cowan, D Khan, N 2011 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257 eng eng Springer Verlag. The Journal's web site is located at http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00300/index.htm Germany Polar Biology http://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-80053991326&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpage Polar Biology, 2011, v. 34 n. 11, p. 1657-1668 9655371 doi:10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 1668 218936 WOS:000297202900004 0722-4060 11 eid_2-s2.0-80053991326 1657 http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257 34 Phylogenetics Antarctic Dry Valleys Dgge Hypolith Microbial Colonisation Article 2011 ftunivhongkonghu https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 2023-01-14T15:54:42Z The McMurdo Dry Valleys region of eastern Antarctica is a cold desert that presents extreme challenges to life. Hypolithic microbial colonisation of the subsoil surfaces of translucent quartz rocks represent a significant source of terrestrial biomass and productivity in this region. Previous studies have described hypoliths as dominated by cyanobacteria. However, hypoliths that occur in the lower Dry Valleys such as the Miers, Garwood and Marshall Valleys are unusual as they are not necessarily cyanobacteria-dominated. These hypoliths support significant eukaryal colonisation by fungi and mosses in addition to cyanobacteria-dominated bacterial assemblages and so have considerable ecological value in this barren landscape. Here, we characterise these novel hypoliths by analysis of environmental rRNA gene sequences. The hypolithic community was demonstrated to be distinct from the surrounding soil and non-translucent rocks. Hypoliths supported cyanobacterial signatures from the Oscillatoriales and Nostocales. Other heterotrophic bacterial signatures were also recovered, and these were phylogenetically diverse and spanned 8 other bacterial phyla. Archaeal phylotypes recovered were phylogenetically affiliated with the large group of unclassified, uncultured Crenarcheota. Eukaryal phylotypes indicated that free-living ascomycetous fungi, chlorophytes and mosses (Bryum sp.) were all supported by these hypoliths, and these are thought to be responsible for the extensive eukaryotic biomass that develops around quartz rocks. © 2011 Springer-Verlag. link_to_subscribed_fulltext Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Polar Biology University of Hong Kong: HKU Scholars Hub Antarctic Garwood ENVELOPE(164.283,164.283,-78.033,-78.033) McMurdo Dry Valleys Miers ENVELOPE(163.850,163.850,-78.100,-78.100) Miers Valley ENVELOPE(164.200,164.200,-78.100,-78.100) Polar Biology 34 11 1657 1668 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Hong Kong: HKU Scholars Hub |
op_collection_id |
ftunivhongkonghu |
language |
English |
topic |
Phylogenetics Antarctic Dry Valleys Dgge Hypolith Microbial Colonisation |
spellingShingle |
Phylogenetics Antarctic Dry Valleys Dgge Hypolith Microbial Colonisation Tuffin, M Stafford, W Cary, C Lacap, DC Pointing, SB Cowan, D Khan, N Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
topic_facet |
Phylogenetics Antarctic Dry Valleys Dgge Hypolith Microbial Colonisation |
description |
The McMurdo Dry Valleys region of eastern Antarctica is a cold desert that presents extreme challenges to life. Hypolithic microbial colonisation of the subsoil surfaces of translucent quartz rocks represent a significant source of terrestrial biomass and productivity in this region. Previous studies have described hypoliths as dominated by cyanobacteria. However, hypoliths that occur in the lower Dry Valleys such as the Miers, Garwood and Marshall Valleys are unusual as they are not necessarily cyanobacteria-dominated. These hypoliths support significant eukaryal colonisation by fungi and mosses in addition to cyanobacteria-dominated bacterial assemblages and so have considerable ecological value in this barren landscape. Here, we characterise these novel hypoliths by analysis of environmental rRNA gene sequences. The hypolithic community was demonstrated to be distinct from the surrounding soil and non-translucent rocks. Hypoliths supported cyanobacterial signatures from the Oscillatoriales and Nostocales. Other heterotrophic bacterial signatures were also recovered, and these were phylogenetically diverse and spanned 8 other bacterial phyla. Archaeal phylotypes recovered were phylogenetically affiliated with the large group of unclassified, uncultured Crenarcheota. Eukaryal phylotypes indicated that free-living ascomycetous fungi, chlorophytes and mosses (Bryum sp.) were all supported by these hypoliths, and these are thought to be responsible for the extensive eukaryotic biomass that develops around quartz rocks. © 2011 Springer-Verlag. link_to_subscribed_fulltext |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Tuffin, M Stafford, W Cary, C Lacap, DC Pointing, SB Cowan, D Khan, N |
author_facet |
Tuffin, M Stafford, W Cary, C Lacap, DC Pointing, SB Cowan, D Khan, N |
author_sort |
Tuffin, M |
title |
Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_short |
Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full |
Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_fullStr |
Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_full_unstemmed |
Hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from Miers Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica |
title_sort |
hypolithic microbial communities of quartz rocks from miers valley, mcmurdo dry valleys, antarctica |
publisher |
Springer Verlag. The Journal's web site is located at http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00300/index.htm |
publishDate |
2011 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(164.283,164.283,-78.033,-78.033) ENVELOPE(163.850,163.850,-78.100,-78.100) ENVELOPE(164.200,164.200,-78.100,-78.100) |
geographic |
Antarctic Garwood McMurdo Dry Valleys Miers Miers Valley |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Garwood McMurdo Dry Valleys Miers Miers Valley |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Polar Biology |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica McMurdo Dry Valleys Polar Biology |
op_relation |
Polar Biology http://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-80053991326&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpage Polar Biology, 2011, v. 34 n. 11, p. 1657-1668 9655371 doi:10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 1668 218936 WOS:000297202900004 0722-4060 11 eid_2-s2.0-80053991326 1657 http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257 34 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7 |
container_title |
Polar Biology |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
1657 |
op_container_end_page |
1668 |
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1766261976995987456 |