Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface
ABSTRACT Salar de Atacama is located approximately 55 km south of San Pedro de Atacama in the Antofagasta region, Chile. The high UV irradiation and salt concentration and extreme drought make Salar de Atacama an ideal site to search for novel soil microorganisms with unique properties. Here, we use...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Society for Microbiology
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Microbiology Spectrum |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00533-22 |
| _version_ | 1811329708526141440 |
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| author | Ignacio Ramos-Tapia Reynaldo Nuñez Carlos Salinas Pamela Salinas Jorge Soto Manuel Paneque |
| author_facet | Ignacio Ramos-Tapia Reynaldo Nuñez Carlos Salinas Pamela Salinas Jorge Soto Manuel Paneque |
| author_sort | Ignacio Ramos-Tapia |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Salar de Atacama is located approximately 55 km south of San Pedro de Atacama in the Antofagasta region, Chile. The high UV irradiation and salt concentration and extreme drought make Salar de Atacama an ideal site to search for novel soil microorganisms with unique properties. Here, we used a metataxonomic approach (16S rRNA V3-V4) to identify and characterize the soil microbiota associated with different surface azonal vegetation formations, including strict hygrophiles (Baccharis juncea, Juncus balticus, and Schoenoplectus americanus), transitional hygrophiles (Distichlis spicata, Lycium humile, and Tessaria absinthioides), and their various combinations. We detected compositional differences among the soil surface microbiota associated with each plant formation in the sampling area. There were changes in soil microbial phylogenetic diversity from the strict to the transitional hygrophiles. Moreover, we found alterations in the abundance of bacterial phyla and genera. Halobacteriota and Actinobacteriota might have facilitated water uptake by the transitional hygrophiles. Our findings helped to elucidate the microbiota of Salar de Atacama and associate them with the strict and transitional hygrophiles indigenous to the region. These findings could be highly relevant to future research on the symbiotic relationships between microbiota and salt-tolerant plants in the face of climate change-induced desertification. IMPORTANCE The study of the composition and diversity of the wetland soil microbiota associated with hygrophilous plants in a desert ecosystem of the high Puna in northern Chile makes it an ideal approach to search for novel extremophilic microorganisms with unique properties. These microorganisms are adapted to survive in ecological niches, such as those with high UV irradiation, extreme drought, and high salt concentration; they can be applied in various fields, such as biotechnology and astrobiology, and industries, including the pharmaceutical, food, agricultural, biofuel, cosmetic, and textile industries. These microorganisms can also be used for ecological conservation and restoration. Extreme ecosystems are a unique biological resource and biodiversity hot spots that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental sustainability. The findings could be highly relevant to future research on the symbiotic relationships between microbiota and extreme-environment-tolerant plants in the face of climate change-induced desertification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:50:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-82832b38ac474c389d3d98e200be5316 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2165-0497 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T15:50:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-10-01 |
| publisher | American Society for Microbiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microbiology Spectrum |
| spelling | doaj.art-82832b38ac474c389d3d98e200be53162022-12-22T02:40:53ZengAmerican Society for MicrobiologyMicrobiology Spectrum2165-04972022-10-0110510.1128/spectrum.00533-22Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil SurfaceIgnacio Ramos-Tapia0Reynaldo Nuñez1Carlos Salinas2Pamela Salinas3Jorge Soto4Manuel Paneque5Laboratory of Metagenomics, Bionostra Chile Research Foundation, San Miguel, Santiago, ChileLaboratory of Metagenomics, Bionostra Chile Research Foundation, San Miguel, Santiago, ChileLaboratory of Metagenomics, Bionostra Chile Research Foundation, San Miguel, Santiago, ChileLaboratory of Metagenomics, Bionostra Chile Research Foundation, San Miguel, Santiago, ChileLaboratory of Metagenomics, Bionostra Chile Research Foundation, San Miguel, Santiago, ChileLaboratory of Bioenergy and Environmental Biotechnology, Department of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resources, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Chile, La Pintana, Santiago, ChileABSTRACT Salar de Atacama is located approximately 55 km south of San Pedro de Atacama in the Antofagasta region, Chile. The high UV irradiation and salt concentration and extreme drought make Salar de Atacama an ideal site to search for novel soil microorganisms with unique properties. Here, we used a metataxonomic approach (16S rRNA V3-V4) to identify and characterize the soil microbiota associated with different surface azonal vegetation formations, including strict hygrophiles (Baccharis juncea, Juncus balticus, and Schoenoplectus americanus), transitional hygrophiles (Distichlis spicata, Lycium humile, and Tessaria absinthioides), and their various combinations. We detected compositional differences among the soil surface microbiota associated with each plant formation in the sampling area. There were changes in soil microbial phylogenetic diversity from the strict to the transitional hygrophiles. Moreover, we found alterations in the abundance of bacterial phyla and genera. Halobacteriota and Actinobacteriota might have facilitated water uptake by the transitional hygrophiles. Our findings helped to elucidate the microbiota of Salar de Atacama and associate them with the strict and transitional hygrophiles indigenous to the region. These findings could be highly relevant to future research on the symbiotic relationships between microbiota and salt-tolerant plants in the face of climate change-induced desertification. IMPORTANCE The study of the composition and diversity of the wetland soil microbiota associated with hygrophilous plants in a desert ecosystem of the high Puna in northern Chile makes it an ideal approach to search for novel extremophilic microorganisms with unique properties. These microorganisms are adapted to survive in ecological niches, such as those with high UV irradiation, extreme drought, and high salt concentration; they can be applied in various fields, such as biotechnology and astrobiology, and industries, including the pharmaceutical, food, agricultural, biofuel, cosmetic, and textile industries. These microorganisms can also be used for ecological conservation and restoration. Extreme ecosystems are a unique biological resource and biodiversity hot spots that play a crucial role in maintaining environmental sustainability. The findings could be highly relevant to future research on the symbiotic relationships between microbiota and extreme-environment-tolerant plants in the face of climate change-induced desertification.https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00533-22hygrophilehyperaridityhypersalinitymetataxonomicsSalar de Atacamasoil microbiota |
| spellingShingle | Ignacio Ramos-Tapia Reynaldo Nuñez Carlos Salinas Pamela Salinas Jorge Soto Manuel Paneque Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface Microbiology Spectrum hygrophile hyperaridity hypersalinity metataxonomics Salar de Atacama soil microbiota |
| title | Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface |
| title_full | Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface |
| title_fullStr | Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface |
| title_full_unstemmed | Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface |
| title_short | Study of Wetland Soils of the Salar de Atacama with Different Azonal Vegetative Formations Reveals Changes in the Microbiota Associated with Hygrophile Plant Type on the Soil Surface |
| title_sort | study of wetland soils of the salar de atacama with different azonal vegetative formations reveals changes in the microbiota associated with hygrophile plant type on the soil surface |
| topic | hygrophile hyperaridity hypersalinity metataxonomics Salar de Atacama soil microbiota |
| url | https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.00533-22 |
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