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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Published in:Polar Biology
Main Authors: Tuffin, M, Stafford, W, Cary, C, Lacap, DC, Pointing, SB, Cowan, D, Khan, N
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer Verlag. The Journal's web site is located at http://link.springer.de/link/service/journals/00300/index.htm 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-011-1061-7
http://hdl.handle.net/10722/179257
id ftunivhongkonghu:oai:hub.hku.hk:10722/179257
record_format openpolar
spelling 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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