Phylogenetic and Functional Substrate Specificity for Endolithic Microbial Communities in Hyper-Arid Environments.

ABSTRACT: Under extreme water deficit, endolithic (inside rock) microbial ecosystems are considered environmental refuges for life in cold and hot deserts, yet their diversity and functional adaptations remain vastly unexplored. The metagenomic analyses of the communities from two rock substrates, calcite and ignimbrite, revealed that they were dominated by Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi. The relative distribution of major phyla was significantly different between the two substrates and biodiversity estimates, from 16S rRNA gene sequences and from the metagenomic data, all pointed to a higher taxonomic diversity in the calcite community. While both endolithic communities showed adaptations to extreme aridity and to the rock habitat, their functional capabilities revealed significant

SUBMITTER: Crits-Christoph A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4784552 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature