Gypsum endolithic phototrophs under moderate climate (Southern Sicily): their diversity and pigment composition.

ABSTRACT: In this study, we used microscopic, spectroscopic, and molecular analysis to characterize endolithic colonization in gypsum (selenites and white crystalline gypsum) from several sites in Sicily. Our results showed that the dominant microorganisms in these environments are cyanobacteria, including: Chroococcidiopsis sp., Gloeocapsopsis pleurocapsoides, Gloeocapsa compacta, and Nostoc sp., as well as orange pigmented green microalgae from the Stephanospherinia clade. Single cell and filament sequencing coupled with 16S rRNA amplicon metagenomic profiling provided new insights into the phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity of the endolithic cyanobacteria. These organisms form differently pigmented zones within the gypsum. Our metagenomic profiling also showed

SUBMITTER: Nemeckova K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10359912 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature