Discovery and microbial content of the driest site of the hyperarid <scp>A</scp>tacama <scp>D</scp>esert, <scp>C</scp>hile

Azua‐Bustos, Armando; Caro-Lara, Luis; Vicuña, Rafael

doi:10.1111/1758-2229.12261

Cited by 78 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The hyperarid soils are characterized by community profiles dominated by Actinobacteria (67% to 86% relative abundance [RA]), Chloroflexi (4.2% to 9.7% RA), Proteobacteria (2.2% to 15.9% RA), and Gemmatimonadetes (0.5% to 7.9% RA). This distribution is similar to that observed previously in hyperarid regions of the Atacama (24, 25, 41, 42) as well as in global deserts, including the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica and the Tataouine Desert (18). An intriguing pattern emerged from the analysis of Atacama hyperarid sites.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Significant Impacts of Increasing Aridity on the Arid Soil Microbiome

et al. 2017

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We identify key environmental and geochemical factors that shape the arid soil microbiome along aridity and vegetation gradients spanning over 300 km of the Atacama Desert, Chile. Decreasing average soil relative humidity and increasing temperature explain significant reductions in the diversity and connectivity of these desert soil microbial communities and lead to significant reductions in the abundance of key taxa typically associated with fertile soils. This finding is important because it suggests that predicted climate change-driven increases in aridity may compromise the capacity of the arid-soil microbiome to sustain necessary nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration functions as well as vegetative cover in desert ecosystems, which comprise one-third of the terrestrial biomes on Earth.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 89%

Significant Impacts of Increasing Aridity on the Arid Soil Microbiome

et al. 2017

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“…In 2015 we reported the discovery of Maria Elena South (22°15′39′′S, 69°43′29′′W) the driest site of the already hyperarid Atacama (Azua-Bustos et al, 2015). We found that soil samples from Maria Elena South showed extremely low, albeit variable levels of organics (0.1–1.1%.…”

Section: What Has Been Reported About Organic Carbon and Life In The mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is bordered on the east by the Andes Mountains and on the west by the Coastal Range. The Atacama is well known for being the driest (McKay et al, 2003; Azua-Bustos et al, 2015) and oldest desert on Earth, estimated to be arid of the past 150 million years and hyperarid for the past 15 million years (Pueyo et al, 2001; Houston and Hartley, 2003; Hartley et al, 2005; Rech et al, 2006). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert, an Extremely Dry and Carbon Deprived Habitat of Potential Interest for the Field of Carbon Science

2017

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The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest and oldest desert on Earth, also considered one of the best Mars analog models. Here, several heterotrophic microbial communities have been discovered in its driest regions, with the ones present in the soil subsurface being one of the most interesting due to its existence in a habitat with almost no water available and almost undetectable organic carbon sources. Our recent discovery of the driest site of the Atacama known to date (and the heterotrophic microbial species that are able to survive in this site) reaffirms the opportunity to better characterize the physiological and molecular mechanisms that these species use to detect, mobilize, incorporate and use carbon under these extremely harsh conditions. Here we summarize what has been reported up to date on the organic carbon concentrations in different sites of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert, proposing that due to the meager amounts of carbon and extremely dry conditions, the microbial communities of the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert may be of interest for the field of carbon science.

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“…per gram soil with the lowest values observed in the rhizosphere soils of Atacama Desert. This is a hyperarid ecosystem where low numbers of bacteria (from 1 × 10 2 to 3 × 10 5 CFU g −1 soil) and low amount of extractable DNA (<1.2 μg DNA g −1 of soil) from soil have been reported (Azua-Bustos et al 2015;Jorquera et al 2014;Maier et al 2004). However, Fletcher et al (2011) observed similar Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacterial alkaline phosphomonoesterase in the rhizospheres of plants grown in Chilean extreme environments

et al. 2016

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Bacterial alkaline phosphomonoesterases (APases) are relevant for organic phosphorus (Po) recycling in many soils. However, the abundance and diversity of bacterial APase in the rhizospheres of native plants are poorly known, particularly in extreme environments. In this research work, we studied the composition of total and APase-harboring bacterial communities, abundances of selected APase genes (phoD and phoX), and APase activities in rhizosphere soils from native plants grown in extreme environments of northern (Atacama Desert), central (Andes volcano; Quetrupillan and Mamuil Malal) and hot spring (Liquiñe), and southern polar (Patagonia and Antarctic) regions of Chile. Differences in the composition of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere soils were revealed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), phoD, and phoX genes. In general, the significant lowest bacterial diversities, APase gene abundances, and APase activities were observed in rhizosphere soils from Atacama Desert, whereas the highest values were observed in rhizosphere soils of Patagonia. In addition, APase gene abundances were positively correlated among them and with APase activity of rhizosphere soils, but negatively correlated with phosphorus (P) availability in rhizosphere soils. Although bacterial APases were observed in all studied rhizosphere soils, their relevance to soil Po recycling in soils of extreme environments remains unclear and further studies are needed.

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Discovery and microbial content of the driest site of the hyperarid Atacama Desert, Chile

Cited by 78 publications

References 19 publications

Significant Impacts of Increasing Aridity on the Arid Soil Microbiome

Significant Impacts of Increasing Aridity on the Arid Soil Microbiome

The Hyperarid Core of the Atacama Desert, an Extremely Dry and Carbon Deprived Habitat of Potential Interest for the Field of Carbon Science

Bacterial alkaline phosphomonoesterase in the rhizospheres of plants grown in Chilean extreme environments

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