Microbiology of Movile Cave—A Chemolithoautotrophic Ecosystem

Kumaresan, Deepak; Wischer, Daniela; Stephenson, Jason R.; Hillebrand-Voiculescu, Alexandra; Murrell, J. Colin

doi:10.1080/01490451.2013.839764

Cited by 52 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…This hypogenic cave ecosystem, devoid of any input from the surface due to layers of impermeable clays and loess, has been isolated from the surface for ~ 5.5 million years and the majority of the invertebrate species present are endemic to Movile Cave and surrounding aquifers. Cave formation, features, and previous work on Movile Cave microbiology has been previously reviewed in detail [ 3 ]. Briefly, the pH (7.4) of lake water in the cave and the temperature (21 °C) remains constant throughout the year.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Aerobic methylotrophy, i.e., utilisation of one-carbon (C1) compounds, such as CH 4 and methylated amines (MA), and autotrophy are the major microbial processes that fix carbon and form the basis of the food web in this ecosystem [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]. Using 13 CH 4 , and DNA—stable isotope probing (SIP)—Hutchens and colleagues [ 6 ] identified active methane oxidising bacteria (MOB) in microbial mats belonging to the genera Methylomonas , Methylococcus , and Methylocystis .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Aerobic proteobacterial methylotrophs in Movile Cave: genomic and metagenomic analyses

et al. 2018

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BackgroundMovile Cave (Mangalia, Romania) is a unique ecosystem where the food web is sustained by microbial primary production, analogous to deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Specifically, chemoautotrophic microbes deriving energy from the oxidation of hydrogen sulphide and methane form the basis of the food web.ResultsHere, we report the isolation of the first methane-oxidizing bacterium from the Movile Cave ecosystem, Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB, a new species and representative of Movile Cave microbial mat samples. While previous research has suggested a prevalence of anoxic conditions in deeper lake water and sediment, using small-scale shotgun metagenome sequencing, we show that metabolic genes encoding enzymes for aerobic methylotrophy are prevalent in sediment metagenomes possibly indicating the presence of microoxic conditions. Moreover, this study also indicates that members within the family Gallionellaceae (Sideroxydans and Gallionella) were the dominant taxa within the sediment microbial community, thus suggesting a major role for microaerophilic iron-oxidising bacteria in nutrient cycling within the Movile Cave sediments.ConclusionsIn this study, based on phylogenetic and metabolic gene surveys of metagenome sequences, the possibility of aerobic microbial processes (i.e., methylotrophy and iron oxidation) within the sediment is indicated. We also highlight significant gaps in our knowledge on biogeochemical cycles within the Movile Cave ecosystem, and the need to further investigate potential feedback mechanisms between microbial communities in both lake sediment and lake water.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40168-017-0383-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerobic proteobacterial methylotrophs in Movile Cave: genomic and metagenomic analyses

et al. 2018

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“…Although Ragon et al (2013) did not detect Hyphomicrobium, they found several OTUs related to Paracoccus and Sphingomonas, this last one consistent with our results. As Hyphomicrobium, Paracoccus is a metabolically versatile bacterium capable of methylotrophy, chemolithotrophy on sulfur and denitrification, all of which are relevant metabolic processes in cave systems (Kumaresan et al, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bacterial diversity associated with mineral substrates and hot springs from caves and tunnels of the Naica Underground System (Chihuahua, Mexico)

Castillo¹,

Beraldi-Campesi²,

Amador-Lemus³

et al. 2018

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The Naica Underground System (NUS) in Northern Mexico comprises a lead, zinc, and silver producing mine and displays the largest gypsum crystals ever found in natural caves. The caves are now closed to the public and mining activities have been suspended for an undefined period since October 2015. Besides its geological, economical, and tourist importance, the bacterial diversity in the NUS has not been fully explored yet. This study surveyed for bacteria present on different mineral substrates (gypsum crystals, iron oxide crusts) and hot spring samples collected before the NUS was inaccessible, using culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE) methods. This study is the first reporting the isolation of microorganisms from Naica. Cluster analysis of DGGE fingerprints revealed slight differences between communities from caves and tunnels and according to their mineral substrate type while communities from solid substrates and water samples appeared to be more distant. Both approaches, culture-dependent and independent, revealed the presence of bacteria from the Firmicutes, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Gammaproteobacteria in gypsum crystals, iron oxide crusts, and hot springs, respectively. Deinococcus-Thermus and Actinobacteria were only detected by DGGE in hot spring samples. According to 16S rRNA sequencing, heterotrophic bacteria isolated under aerobic conditions were affiliated with Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Paenibacillus, Schlegelella, Cupriavidus, Pseudoxanthomonas, and Lysobacter. Most of the isolates and sequences retrieved by DGGE were related to organisms previously detected in other extreme subsurface environments. Some of the isolates were able to precipitate calcium carbonate and precipitate Fe(III) in solid media but their possible participation in biomineralization processes in situ has still to be investigated. Microbial communities found in the NUS are likely autochthonous with some allochtonous components due to human intervention. Their role in geobiological processes requires further investigation. gypsum crystals, iron oxide crusts, hot springs, 16S rRNA, bacterial isolates, Naica

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“…LWB” was isolated from Movile Cave, Romania, a sealed, sulfidic karst system sustained by chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms (1–6). Earlier studies showed that methane-oxidizing bacteria were present and active in Movile Cave (7) leading to an effort to isolate and characterize methylotrophs from this extreme environment (8).…”

Section: Genome Announcementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Draft Genome Sequence of the Methane-Oxidizing Bacterium “ Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB” Isolated from Movile Cave

Stephenson

Kumaresan

Hillebrand-Voiculescu

et al. 2017

Genome Announc

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Microbiology of Movile Cave—A Chemolithoautotrophic Ecosystem

Cited by 52 publications

References 44 publications

Aerobic proteobacterial methylotrophs in Movile Cave: genomic and metagenomic analyses

Aerobic proteobacterial methylotrophs in Movile Cave: genomic and metagenomic analyses

Bacterial diversity associated with mineral substrates and hot springs from caves and tunnels of the Naica Underground System (Chihuahua, Mexico)

Draft Genome Sequence of the Methane-Oxidizing Bacterium “ Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB” Isolated from Movile Cave

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