Endolithic microbial colonization of limestone in a high-altitude arid environment.

Microbial Ecology
Fiona K Y WongStephen B Pointing

Abstract

The morphology of endolithic colonization in a limestone escarpment and surrounding rocky debris (termed float) at a high-altitude arid site in central Tibet was documented using scanning electron microscopy. Putative lichenized structures and extensive coccoid bacterial colonization were observed. Absolute and relative abundance of rRNA gene signatures using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic analysis of environmental phylotypes were used to characterize community structure across all domains. Escarpment endoliths were dominated by eukaryotic phylotypes suggestive of lichenised associations (a Trebouxia lichen phycobiont and Leptodontidium lichen mycobiont), whereas float endoliths were dominated by bacterial phylotypes, including the cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis plus several unidentified beta proteobacteria and crenarchaea. Among a range of abiotic variables tested, ultraviolet (UV) transmittance by rock substrates was the factor best able to explain differences in community structure, with eukaryotic lichen phylotypes more abundant under conditions of greater UV-exposure compared to prokaryotes. Variously pigmented float rocks did not support significantly different communities. Estimates o...Continue Reading

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Citations

Mar 26, 2010·Microbial Ecology·Fiona K Y WongStephen B Pointing
May 23, 2012·Current Microbiology·Christine C GaylardeBrett A Neilan
Nov 12, 2010·Extremophiles : Life Under Extreme Conditions·Donnabella C LacapStephen B Pointing
May 28, 2014·Canadian Journal of Microbiology·Olivia W ChanStephen B Pointing
Mar 26, 2016·Frontiers in Microbiology·Alexander Crits-ChristophJocelyne DiRuggiero
Jun 7, 2015·Microbial Ecology·Maria BrandesKatarzyna A Palinska
Mar 29, 2014·Microbial Ecology·Charmaine C M YungStephen B Pointing
Oct 28, 2016·Indian Journal of Microbiology·Subramanya RaoStephen B Pointing
Oct 12, 2016·Frontiers in Microbiology·Kevin C LeeStephen B Pointing
Jul 7, 2017·Journal of Basic Microbiology·Aileen MeierErika Kothe
Jul 10, 2012·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Stephen B Pointing, Jayne Belnap
Nov 25, 2020·Mycologia·Claudia ColeineLaura Selbmann
Jan 28, 2021·Microorganisms·Steffi GenderjahnDirk Wagner
Jan 26, 2021·Frontiers in Microbiology·Yong-Hoe ChoeYoo Kyung Lee

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