Genetic and Metabolic Diversity of Cyanobacteria on the Rock-Water Interface in Mountainous Ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Tintenstrich communities are specialized lithic biofilms dominated by free-living cyanobacteria, also occurring in lichen associations, forming a unique ecological interface between rock environments and aquatic habitats in mountainous areas. To better understand their composition and genetic and metabolic potential, we analyzed 207 samples from the Swiss Alps and Jura Mountains. We determined how key environmental factors shaped cyanobacterial abundance, assessed whether these communities harbor genes for toxin biosynthesis, characterized their taxonomic composition at the family and genus level, and evaluated the actual occurrence of cyanotoxins and other bioactive metabolites. Cyanobacterial abundance proved to be influenced by factors such as elevation, exposure, and their inter

SUBMITTER: Oliveira J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12489977 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature