Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile
The Amuyo Ponds (APs) are a group of three brackish hydrothermal lagoons located at 3700 m above sea level in a pre-Andean setting in the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green (GP), red (RP), or yellow (YP) coloration, and discharges water rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya Ri...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Claudia Vilo Francisca Fábrega Víctor L. Campos Benito Gómez-Silva |
| author_facet | Claudia Vilo Francisca Fábrega Víctor L. Campos Benito Gómez-Silva |
| author_sort | Claudia Vilo |
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| description | The Amuyo Ponds (APs) are a group of three brackish hydrothermal lagoons located at 3700 m above sea level in a pre-Andean setting in the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green (GP), red (RP), or yellow (YP) coloration, and discharges water rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya River (Camarones Basin, northern Chile). Microorganisms are subjected to harsh environmental conditions in these ponds, and the microbial composition and diversity in the Amuyo Ponds’ sediments are unknown. The microbial life colonizing AP sediments was explored by metagenomics analyses, showing a diverse microbial life dominated by members of the bacterial domain, with nearly 800 bacterial genome sequences, and sequences associated with Archaea, Eukarya, and viruses. The genus <i>Pseudomonas</i> was more abundant in GP and YP sediments, while the genera <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Aeromonas</i>, and <i>Shewanella</i> were enriched in RP sediments. Archaeal composition was similar in all sediments, and enriched with methanogens sequences from the <i>Archaeoglobi</i> and <i>Halobacteria</i> classes. Abundant fungi sequences were detected in all sediments from the phyla <i>Blastocladiomycota</i> and <i>Ascomycota</i>. We also report putative functional capabilities related to virulence and defense genes, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and tolerance to arsenic. Thirteen bacterial and fourteen viral metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and informed here. This work expands our knowledge on the richness of the microorganisms in the APs and open further studies on the ecology and genomics of this striking Andean geosite. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a5b042c488c346d4a1f30b5201724011 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj-art-a5b042c488c346d4a1f30b52017240112024-11-26T18:14:37ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072024-11-011211223810.3390/microorganisms12112238Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern ChileClaudia Vilo0Francisca Fábrega1Víctor L. Campos2Benito Gómez-Silva3Laboratory of Biochemistry, Biomedical Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, ChileLaboratory of Biochemistry, Biomedical Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, ChileLaboratory of Environmental Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion 4070386, ChileLaboratory of Biochemistry, Biomedical Department, Health Sciences Faculty, Centre for Biotechnology and Bioengineering (CeBiB), Universidad de Antofagasta, Antofagasta 1240000, ChileThe Amuyo Ponds (APs) are a group of three brackish hydrothermal lagoons located at 3700 m above sea level in a pre-Andean setting in the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green (GP), red (RP), or yellow (YP) coloration, and discharges water rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya River (Camarones Basin, northern Chile). Microorganisms are subjected to harsh environmental conditions in these ponds, and the microbial composition and diversity in the Amuyo Ponds’ sediments are unknown. The microbial life colonizing AP sediments was explored by metagenomics analyses, showing a diverse microbial life dominated by members of the bacterial domain, with nearly 800 bacterial genome sequences, and sequences associated with Archaea, Eukarya, and viruses. The genus <i>Pseudomonas</i> was more abundant in GP and YP sediments, while the genera <i>Pseudomonas</i>, <i>Aeromonas</i>, and <i>Shewanella</i> were enriched in RP sediments. Archaeal composition was similar in all sediments, and enriched with methanogens sequences from the <i>Archaeoglobi</i> and <i>Halobacteria</i> classes. Abundant fungi sequences were detected in all sediments from the phyla <i>Blastocladiomycota</i> and <i>Ascomycota</i>. We also report putative functional capabilities related to virulence and defense genes, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and tolerance to arsenic. Thirteen bacterial and fourteen viral metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and informed here. This work expands our knowledge on the richness of the microorganisms in the APs and open further studies on the ecology and genomics of this striking Andean geosite.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2238Amuyo PondsAtacama Desertbiodiversityextreme environmentsmetagenomicsmicrobial and viral communities |
| spellingShingle | Claudia Vilo Francisca Fábrega Víctor L. Campos Benito Gómez-Silva Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile Microorganisms Amuyo Ponds Atacama Desert biodiversity extreme environments metagenomics microbial and viral communities |
| title | Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile |
| title_full | Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile |
| title_fullStr | Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile |
| title_full_unstemmed | Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile |
| title_short | Microbial Biodiversity in Sediment from the Amuyo Ponds: Three Andean Hydrothermal Lagoons in Northern Chile |
| title_sort | microbial biodiversity in sediment from the amuyo ponds three andean hydrothermal lagoons in northern chile |
| topic | Amuyo Ponds Atacama Desert biodiversity extreme environments metagenomics microbial and viral communities |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/12/11/2238 |
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