Bacterial and Fungal Diversity Inside the Medieval Building Constructed with Sandstone Plates and Lime Mortar as an Example of the Microbial Colonization of a Nutrient-Limited Extreme Environment (Wawel Royal Castle, Krakow, Poland)
Abstract:Biodeterioration is a serious threat to cultural heritage objects and buildings. The deterioration of a given material often incurs irreparable losses in terms of uniqueness and historical value. Hence preventive actions should be taken. One important challenge is to identify microbes involved in the biodeterioration process. In this study, we analyzed the microbial diversity of an ancient architectonical structure of the Rotunda of Sts. Felix and Adauctus, which is a part of the Wawel Royal Castle located in … Show more
“…and Arthrobacter agilis are associated to a rosy discoloration of stone cultural heritage (Tescari et al, 2018). Bacillus species, widespread on the studied limestones are known for their ability to withstand extreme environments and to degrade stone buildings (Kiel and Gaylarde, 2006;Scheerer et al, 2009;Dyda et al, 2019). In our study, Bacillus subtilis, developed strongly from month 14, matching with the formation of calcite crystals in needle-like structures (Loisy et al, 1999;Nguyen et al, 2019).…”
“…and Arthrobacter agilis are associated to a rosy discoloration of stone cultural heritage (Tescari et al, 2018). Bacillus species, widespread on the studied limestones are known for their ability to withstand extreme environments and to degrade stone buildings (Kiel and Gaylarde, 2006;Scheerer et al, 2009;Dyda et al, 2019). In our study, Bacillus subtilis, developed strongly from month 14, matching with the formation of calcite crystals in needle-like structures (Loisy et al, 1999;Nguyen et al, 2019).…”
“…However, the number of studies on its presence in soils and the rhizospheres of diverse plants is considerable. Several Crossiella findings in stones and building stones were also confirmed [125][126][127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137][138]. Finally, a few records in sea sediments and freshwaters were significant [139][140][141][142][143][144][145][146] because they included aquatic environments among Crossiella habitats.…”
The genus Crossiella contains two species, C. equi, causing nocardioform placentitis in horses, and C. cryophila, an environmental bacterium. Apart from C. equi, which is not discussed here, environmental Crossiella is rarely reported in the literature; thus, it has not been included among “rare actinobacteria”, whose isolation frequency is very low. After C. cryophila, only five reports cover the isolation of Crossiella strains. However, the frequency of published papers on environmental Crossiella has increased significantly in recent years due to the extensive use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and a huge cascade of data that has improved our understanding of how bacteria occur in the environment. In the last five years, Crossiella has been found in different environments (caves, soils, plant rhizospheres, building stones, etc.). The high abundance of Crossiella in cave moonmilk indicates that this genus may have an active role in moonmilk formation, as evidenced by the precipitation of calcite, witherite, and struvite in different culture media. This review provides an overview of environmental Crossiella, particularly in caves, and discusses its role in biomineralization processes and bioactive compound production.
“…These results are not surprising, as 16S rRNA gene sequence libraries, constructed from DNA extracts of environmental samples, often contain a high proportion of unclassified sequences. An example are not only deep subsurface samples such as petroleum reservoirs [ 63 ], subsurface fluids [ 57 ] and brines [ 59 ], but also more available, yet scarcely known, biotopes such as sea sediments [ 64 ], floodplain meadows [ 65 ] or even heritage objects and buildings [ 66 ]. The unclassified sequences evidence the presence of a potentially unique microbial community ecology and the presence organisms with novel taxonomy, so called taxonomic “blind spots” [ 67 ].…”
Methane and carbon dioxide are one of the most important greenhouse gases and significant components of the carbon cycle. Biogeochemical methane transformation may occur even in the extreme conditions of deep subsurface ecosystems. This study presents methane-related biological processes in saline sediments of the Miocene Wieliczka Formation, Poland. Rock samples (W2, W3, and W4) differed in lithology (clayey salt with veins of fibrous salt and lenses of gypsum and anhydrite; siltstone and sandstone; siltstone with veins of fibrous salt and lenses of anhydrite) and the accompanying salt type (spiza salts or green salt). Microbial communities present in the Miocene strata were studied using activity measurements and high throughput sequencing. Biological activity (i.e., carbon dioxide and methane production or methane oxidation) occurred in all of the studied clayey salt and siltstone samples but mainly under water-saturated conditions. Microcosm studies performed at elevated moisture created more convenient conditions for the activity of both methanogenic and methanotrophic microorganisms than the intact sediments. This points to the fact that water activity is an important factor regulating microbial activity in saline subsurface sediments. Generally, respiration was higher in anaerobic conditions and ranged from 36 ± 2 (W2200%t.w.c) to 48 ± 4 (W3200%t.w.c) nmol CO2 gdw−1 day−1. Methanogenic activity was the highest in siltstone and sandstone (W3, 0.025 ± 0.018 nmol CH4 gdw−1 day−1), while aerobic methanotrophic activity was the highest in siltstone with salt and anhydrite (W4, 220 ± 66 nmol CH4 gdw−1 day−1). The relative abundance of CH4-utilizing microorganisms (Methylomicrobium, Methylomonas, Methylocystis) constituted 0.7–3.6% of all taxa. Methanogens were represented by Methanobacterium (0.01–0.5%). The methane-related microbes were accompanied by a significant number of unclassified microorganisms (3–64%) and those of the Bacillus genus (4.5–91%). The stable isotope composition of the CO2 and CH4 trapped in the sediments suggests that methane oxidation could have influenced δ13CCH4, especially in W3 and W4.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.