Microbial communities and their potential for degradation of dissolved organic carbon in cryoconite hole environments of Himalaya and Antarctica

Sanyal, Aritri; Antony, Runa; Samui, Gautami; Thamban, Meloth

doi:10.1016/j.micres.2018.01.004

Cited by 57 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 72 publications

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“…Heterotrophic microorganisms in Himalayan and Antarctic cryoconite holes had a high potential to metabolize a range of organic compounds (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, cellulose, lignin) and to produce extracellular enzymes (Sanyal et al 2018 ). Biomarker and stable isotope analyses of organic carbon indicated that microorganisms in cryoconite do not use geological (aged) organic carbon, and that their primary source of carbon (carbon fixation) is recent (fresh) atmospheric carbon (McCrimmon et al 2018 ).…”

Section: Microbial Diversity and Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Margesin

Collins

2019

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

122

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Microorganisms in cold ecosystems play a key ecological role in their natural habitats. Since these ecosystems are especially sensitive to climate changes, as indicated by the worldwide retreat of glaciers and ice sheets as well as permafrost thawing, an understanding of the role and potential of microbial life in these habitats has become crucial. Emerging technologies have added significantly to our knowledge of abundance, functional activity, and lifestyles of microbial communities in cold environments. The current knowledge of microbial ecology in glacial habitats and permafrost, the most studied habitats of the cryosphere, is reported in this review.

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Section: Microbial Diversity and Activitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Margesin

Collins

2019

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol

122

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“…Thus, in-spite of isolation and resulting accumulation of the ions in an isolated hole, charge balance is most likely preserved due to the continued heterotrophic activity within the holes. This is supported by the presence of diverse and active microbial communities in these samples (Sanyal and others, 2018), with differences in bacterial abundance, activity, doubling times and diversity being detected between open and closed holes (Mueller and Pollard, 2004; Anesio and others, 2010; Sanyal and others, 2018) owing to open and closed systems exerting different environmental pressures on the microbial communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Chemical characteristics of hydrologically distinct cryoconite holes in coastal Antarctica

Samui¹,

Antony²,

Thamban³

2018

Ann. Glaciol.

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Cryoconite holes play a significant role in the nutrient cycling on glaciers and can be regarded as a storehouse of nutrients that are generated through microbial and photochemical activities. In this work, the chemical characteristics of hydrologically connected and isolated cryoconite holes from three geographically distinct regions of coastal Antarctica, namely Larsemann Hills, Amery Ice Shelf and central Dronning Maud Land were studied. Major ions (Na + , K + , Mg 2+ , Ca 2+ , Cl − , SO 4 2− and NO 3 − ) andtotal organic carbon in the hydrologically isolated, closed cryoconite holes showed significantly higher enrichment (6-26 times and 9 times, respectively) over the conservative tracer ion Cl − possibly due to sediment dissolution and microbial synthesis during isolation period. In contrast, depletion of major ions and organic carbon were observed in the open, hydrologically connected holes due to their discharge from the cryoconite holes through interconnected streams. This study suggests that the contribution of cryoconite holes to the nutrient and microbial transport to downstream environments may vary with the extent of hydrological connectivity by virtue of the fact that nutrients and organic carbon which accumulate in the isolated cryoconite holes during isolation could get washed to downstream environments in the event that they get connected through surface or subsurface melt channels.

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“…DOM released from these multicellular phototrophs include a wide variety of complex organic acids and polymers that are related to the secondary growth of the phototroph and are potentially difficult for microorganisms to metabolize (Wetzel, 1992; Rovira and Vallejo, 2002). Conversely, BDOM in glaciers is more likely to come from microbial production; either on the ice surface (Antony et al 2017), in cryoconite holes (Sanyal et al, 2018), within the meltwater channels, or below the glacier (Fellman et al, 2009), and from atmospherically deposited materials (Stubbins et al, 2012). Organic molecules from microbial biomass or those small enough to be volatile should, on average, be more biologically available than plant derived organic matter, especially those compounds associated with the secondary metabolism of plants (Sun et al, 1997; Raymond and Bauer, 2001; Berggren et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the chemistry and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter from glaciers and rock glaciers

Fegel

Boot

Broeckling

et al. 2017

Preprint

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As glaciers thaw in response to warming, they release dissolved organic matter (DOM) to alpine lakes and streams. The United States contains an abundance of both alpine glaciers and rock glaciers. Differences in DOM composition and bioavailability between glacier types, like rock and ice glaciers, remain undefined. To assess differences in glacier and rock glacier DOM we evaluated bioavailability and molecular composition of DOM from four alpine catchments each with a glacier and a rock glacier at their headwaters. We assessed bioavailability of DOM by incubating each DOM source with a common microbial community and evaluated chemical characteristics of DOM before and after incubation using untargeted gas chromatography mass spectrometry based metabolomics (GC-MS). Prior to incubations, ice glacier and rock glacier DOM had similar C:N ratios and chemical diversity, but differences in DOM composition. Incubations with a common microbial community showed DOM from ice glacier meltwaters contained a higher proportion of bioavailable DOM (BDOM) and resulted in greater bacterial growth efficiency (BGE). After incubation, DOM composition from each source was statistically indistinguishable. This study provides an example of how MS based metabolomics can be used to assess effects of DOM composition on differences in bioavailability of DOM. Furthermore, it illustrates the importance of microbial metabolism in structuring composition of DOM. Even though rock glaciers had significantly less BDOM than ice glaciers, both glacial types still have potential to be important sources of BDOM to alpine headwaters over the coming decades.Key PointsBioavailability of organic matter released from glaciers is greater than that of rock glaciers in the Rocky Mountains.The use of GC-MS for ecosystem metabolomics represents a novel approach for examining complex organic matter pools.Both glaciers and rock glaciers supply highly bioavailable sources of organic matter to alpine headwaters in Colorado.

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Microbial communities and their potential for degradation of dissolved organic carbon in cryoconite hole environments of Himalaya and Antarctica

Cited by 57 publications

References 72 publications

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Microbial ecology of the cryosphere (glacial and permafrost habitats): current knowledge

Chemical characteristics of hydrologically distinct cryoconite holes in coastal Antarctica

Assessing the chemistry and bioavailability of dissolved organic matter from glaciers and rock glaciers

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