Hyperexpansion of genetic diversity and metabolic capacity of extremophilic bacteria and archaea in ancient Andean lake sediments.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Andean Altiplano hosts a repertoire of high-altitude lakes with harsh conditions for life. These lakes are undergoing a process of desiccation caused by the current climate, leaving terraces exposed to extreme atmospheric conditions and serving as analogs to Martian paleolake basins. Microbiomes in Altiplano lake terraces have been poorly studied, enclosing uncultured lineages and a great opportunity to understand environmental adaptation and the limits of life on Earth. Here we examine the microbial diversity and function in ancient sediments (10.3-11 kyr BP (before present)) from a terrace profile of Laguna Lejía, a sulfur- and metal/metalloid-rich saline lake in the Chilean Altiplano. We also evaluate the physical and chemical changes of the lake over time by stud

SUBMITTER: Lezcano MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11411797 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature