Metabolomic and high-throughput sequencing analysis—modern approach for the assessment of biodeterioration of materials from historic buildings

Abstract

Preservation of cultural heritage is of paramount importance worldwide. Microbial colonization of construction materials, such as wood, brick, mortar, and stone in historic buildings can lead to severe deterioration. The aim of the present study was to give modern insight into the phylogenetic diversity and activated metabolic pathways of microbial communities colonized historic objects located in the former Auschwitz II–Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in Oświecim, Poland. For this purpose we combined molecular, microscopic and chemical methods. Selected specimens were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), metabolomic analysis and high-throughput Illumina sequencing. FESEM imaging revealed the presence of complex microbial communities comprising diatoms, fungi and bacteria, mainly cyanobacteria and actinobacteria, on sample surfaces. Microbial diversity of brick specimens appeared higher than that of the wood and was dominated by algae and cyanobacteria, while wood was mainly colonized by fungi. DNA sequences documented the presence of 15 bacterial phyla representing 99 genera including Halomonas, Halorhodospira, Salinisphaera, Salinibacterium, Rubrobacter, Streptomyces, Arthrobacter and nine fungal classes represented by 113 genera including Cladosporium, Acremonium, Alternaria, Engyodontium, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Aureobasidium. Most of the identified sequences were characteristic of organisms implicated in deterioration of wood and brick. Metabolomic data indicated the activation of numerous metabolic pathways, including those regulating the production of primary and secondary metabolites, for example, metabolites associated with the production of antibiotics, organic acids and deterioration of organic compounds. The study demonstrated that a combination of electron microscopy imaging with metabolomic and genomic techniques allows to link the phylogenetic information and metabolic profiles of microbial communities and to shed new light on biodeterioration processes.

Pre-Columbian Archeological Textiles: A Source of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with Virulence Attributes

“…The metabolism of P. aeruginosa inhabiting fabrics can cause changes in the content of elements, as has previously been reported for microbial communities growing on historical materials. Gutarowska et al [26] observed the activation of numerous metabolic pathways, including those regulating the production of primary and secondary metabolites, including metabolites associated with the deterioration of organic compounds. growing on historical materials.…”

“…growing on historical materials. Gutarowska et al [26] observed the activation of numerous metabolic pathways, including those regulating the production of primary and secondary metabolites, including metabolites associated with the deterioration of organic compounds. Analysis of the infrared absorption spectra of the archeological fibers before and after biofilm formation in comparison to contemporary alpaca fibers revealed significant changes in the molecular structure of the keratin (Figure 2).…”

Changes in soil microbial communities at Jinsha earthen site are associated with earthen site deterioration

“…Actinobacteria have been frequently found as a dominant group in subterranean micro-niches, including cultural relics in caves and wall paintings in catacombs [13][14][15][16][17]. Previous work demonstrated that some Actinobacteria are potentially harmful to the preservation of cultural relics [18][19][20].…”

Geomicrobiology of the built environment

“…Some sophisticated studies add little to earlier findings using traditional methods 11 . There are also several technological artefacts and innate biological traits that bias relative quantification of abundance 19 , although a combination of electron microscopy with metabolomic and genomic techniques allowed some linkage of phylogenetic data with metabolic profiles 21 . However, such studies describe functional potential, and it is difficult to definitively link phylogeny and function 20,22 .…”