Thrive or survive: prokaryotic life in hypersaline soils

作者：Blanca Vera‐Gargallo, Marcela Hernández, Marc G. Dumont, António Ventosa · 发表于：Environmental Microbiome · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1186/s40793-023-00475-z · 被引用次数：23 · 研究领域：Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology、Polar Research and Ecology、Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology

Abstract Background Soil services are central to life on the planet, with microorganisms as their main drivers. Thus, the evaluation of soil quality requires an understanding of the principles and factors governing microbial dynamics within it. High salt content is a constraint for life affecting more than 900 million hectares of land, a number predicted to rise at an alarming rate due to changing climate. Nevertheless, little is known about how microbial life unfolds in these habitats . In this study, DNA stable-isotope probing (DNA-SIP) with 18 O-water was used to determine for the first time the taxa able to grow in hypersaline soil samples (EC e = 97.02 dS/m). We further evaluated the role of light on prokaryotes growth in this habitat. Results We detected growth of both archaea and bacteria, with taxon-specific growth patterns providing insights into the drivers of success in saline soils. Phylotypes related to extreme halophiles, including haloarchaea and Salinibacter , which share an energetically efficient mechanism for salt adaptation ( salt-in strategy), dominated the active community. Bacteria related to moderately halophilic and halotolerant taxa, such as Staphylococcus , Aliifodinibius , Bradymonadales or Chitinophagales also grew during the incubations, but they incorporated less heavy isotope. Light did not stimulate prokaryotic photosynthesis but instead restricted the growth of most bacteria and reduced the diversity of archaea that grew. Conclusions The resu...