毛黄堇根腐病根际土壤微生物群落结构及多样性

目的：研究健康毛黄堇植株和患根腐病毛黄堇植株根际土壤微生物群落多样性和组成差异，探讨其与毛黄堇病害发生的关系，为针对性开展防治工作提供科学依据。方法：利用Illumina MiSeq技术，比较健康和患病根际土壤微生物群落结构特征及差异。结果：患病根际土细菌群落α多样性降低，真菌群落α多样性升高。健康和患病植株细菌、真菌门水平的组成结构及相对丰度差异均较小，细菌优势门为变形菌门和放线菌门，真菌为子囊菌门。属水平上组成结构复杂，优势细菌属为Subgroup＿6等，优势真菌属为曲霉属。患病植株差异标志物种主要为小单孢菌科细菌和核盘菌科真菌。结论：土壤微生物群落多样性和结构与毛黄堇健康状态密切相关，致病真菌相对丰度增加可能是导致病害发生的重要原因。     

敦煌莫高窟第98窟壁画表面菌斑的群落结构分析

【目的】确定第98窟壁画表面白色污染物内微生物微观特征, 分析其群落组成、结构特点及诱发壁画病害微生物产生的因素, 为石窟寺保护和旅游管理提供建议。【方法】利用无菌手术刀收集壁画表面白色污染物样品; 利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析样品中微生物体微观形貌; 通过提取样品总DNA、扩增细菌16S rDNA、构建克隆文库、测序和系统发生关系分析等技术研究壁画微生物群落组成与结构特点。【结果】壁画白色污染物中存在大量具有微生物特征的结构体, 形态多呈短杆状和卵圆形, 大小在 (3.0?5.5)?μm×(1.5?2.5) μm之间。共得到克隆文库序列111条, 主要为变形菌门γ-变形菌亚门肠杆菌科(Enterobacteriaceae)与假单孢菌科(Pseudomonadaceae)成员。群落组成和结构分析表明所得序列主要隶属于肠杆菌属(Enterobacter)、埃希菌属(Escherichia)、固氮菌属(Azotobacter)、沙雷氏菌属(Serratia)和克雷伯菌属(Klebsiella); 埃希菌属和肠杆菌属为优势属, 分别占克隆文库中总序列的46.8%和35.1%, 二者在自然界分布广泛, 大多属于人类致病菌。【结论】莫高窟第98窟壁画表面白色污染物主要为病害细菌生长所形成的菌斑群落集成。变形菌门在壁画细菌克隆文库中占绝对优势, 壁画病害微生物的出现和蔓延可能与该洞窟之前长期旅游开放存在一定关联。     

基于高通量测序的禁牧对土壤微生物群落结构的影响

麋鹿的采食、躺卧和践踏行为均会对栖息地土壤环境造成影响,进而影响土壤微生物群落结构。利用高通量测序技术,分析江苏大丰麋鹿国家级自然保护区禁牧点和补饲点土壤细菌和真菌群落结构差异,并结合土壤理化性质探究禁牧对土壤微生物群落结构的影响。结果表明细菌群落的优势菌门为变形菌门,真菌群落的优势菌门为子囊菌门。禁牧改变了土壤微生物群落结构,在门水平上提高了变形菌门、放线菌门和担子菌门的相对丰度,降低了绿弯菌门、厚壁菌门和子囊菌门的相对丰度,禁牧点与补饲点土壤微生物群落多样性的相似性较低。冗余分析中,细菌受土壤环境因子的影响大于真菌,其中土壤pH是影响细菌和真菌群落最大的土壤环境因子。研究揭示了禁牧对土壤微生物群落结构的影响,为保护区制定麋鹿生境恢复方案提供参考。     

太原北齐徐显秀墓壁画真菌群落组成与菌害成因

【目的】确定壁画病害真菌群落组成,解析影响病菌发生的关键环境因子,为墓室壁画的科学保护提供依据。【方法】利用无菌解剖刀分别采集白色霉变与无明显霉变壁画样品;使用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)分析病害真菌微观形态特征;通过提取样品基因组总DNA、扩增真菌ITS区、构建克隆文库、测序和系统发生关系分析等技术研究壁画真菌群落组成与结构特点;结合温度与相对湿度监测,分析诱发壁画霉变的环境成因。【结果】霉变壁画表面有大量菌丝体,分生孢子大小为(1.5-2.0)μm×(1.0-1.5)μm。霉变壁画克隆文库序列分别与NCBI数据库中白色侧齿霉属(Engyodontium)和支顶孢属(Acremonium)真菌具有较高的相似度,白色侧齿霉菌(Engyodontium album)为优势病害菌(98.1%);无明显霉变壁画克隆文库序列分别与青霉属(Penicillium)、曲霉属(Aspergillus)、链格孢属(Alternaria)、假丝酵母属(Candida)、毛壳菌属(Chaetomium)和白色侧齿霉属真菌高度相似,无绒毛青霉菌(Penicillium laeve)为优势菌(77.4%);所有文库序列均属于子囊菌门(Ascomycota)。监测期墓道下部环境温度在-0.3-17.6°C之间波动,相对湿度长期在80%-100%之间变化。【结论】霉变与无明显霉变壁画中真菌群落组成差异较大;白色侧齿霉菌是引起墓道壁画霉变的主要病害菌;墓道下部相对湿度常年较高是诱发壁画霉变的关键环境因子;有必要开展壁画菌害区域的抢救性防护,并实施一定的环境控制措施以保护该考古遗址古代壁画。     

海南海口温泉真菌、细菌多样性及其环境影响因素分析

【目的】海南海口含有丰富的温泉资源,对温泉微生物多样性进行研究,有助于进一步开发和利用海南温泉微生物资源。【方法】本文采用Illumina Hi Seq高通量测序技术对海口3个温泉[海甸岛荣域温泉(S1)、火山口开心农场温泉(S2)和西海岸海长流温泉(S3)]水样中微生物ITS序列和16Sr RNA基因V3-V4区进行测序及生物信息学分析,探究海口市3个不同区域的温泉真菌多样性与细菌多样性。【结果】(1)α多样性分析表明,真菌群落中,S3(29)S1(29)S2,而在细菌群落中,S2(29)S1(29)S3。β多样性分析表明,3个温泉真菌群落和细菌群落组成差异皆显著。(2)分类分析表明,温泉真菌群落优势菌门为子囊菌门(Ascomycota)和担子菌门(Basidiomycota),细菌群落优势菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、Thermi、硝化螺旋菌门(Nitrospirae)、绿菌门(Chlorobi)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)。(3) CCA (Canonical correspondence analysis)分析表明,3个温泉的真菌群落主要影响因子是温度,细菌群落主要影响因子是总磷。【结论】海南省海口市温泉中含有丰富的微生物资源,其微生物群落组成受多种环境因子影响,且影响真菌和细菌的主要环境因子不同。     

马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落结构及其变化

【目的】为了解野生马缨杜鹃根系微生物的群落结构特征,比较百里杜鹃内马缨杜鹃根际土壤、根表及根内3个生态位微生物群落组成差异,探究杜鹃根系生态位之间、变化菌属间的相互关系,以期为今后杜鹃根系微生物研究提供具有参考价值的数据。【方法】对百里杜鹃内野生马缨杜鹃根系微生物16S rRNA V4区和ITS1区进行高通量测序,比较分析根际土壤、根表及根内微生物群落多样性及组成差异;并基于共变化网络分析进一步探究差异菌属间的相互关系。【结果】马缨杜鹃根系不同的生态位之间,微生物群落结构存在差异,其中以根际土壤与根表、根内差异更为显著,且细菌群落差异小于真菌群落。且从根际-根表-根内,马缨杜鹃根系细菌α-多样性显著下降。马缨杜鹃根系微生物分布于41细菌门和6个真菌门。优势细菌门为变形菌门(Proteobacteria,39.64%±0.08,69.47%±0.12,77.34%±0.07)、酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria,34.10%±0.11,11.03%±0.04,9.18%±0.04)以及放线菌门(Actinobacteria,10.19%±0.03,8.70%±0.02,7.08%±0.01),它们占整体细菌群落总丰度的80%以上。同时8个细菌菌门的相对丰度在根际土壤、根表和根内间显著变化,且它们的相对丰度占细菌群落总丰度的75%以上。真菌主要分布于接合菌门(Zygomycota)、担子菌门(Basidiomycota)和子囊菌门(Ascomycota),它们占整体菌群的99%以上。马缨杜鹃根系存在589个属的细菌,390个属的真菌,从根际-根表-根内,其中25个细菌属和10个真菌属的相对丰度发生显著变化。马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落共变化网络分析表明:在马缨杜鹃根系不同生态位间,除Waitea外,包括枝孢菌属(Cladosporium)、拟盘多毛孢属(Pestalotiopsis)等在内的8个差异真菌菌属均与细菌菌属显著相关,它们相互作用调控微生物群落结构的变化。Bryobacter、Nocardia、Rhizomicrobium和Telmatobacter等核心菌属对马缨杜鹃根系微生物群落共变化网络的变化具有十分重要的调控作用。【结论】百里杜鹃地区马缨杜鹃根际土壤、根表以及根内3个生态位间,微生物群落组成存在差异;而造成微生物组成存在差异这一结果,可能与马缨杜鹃根系密切相关。同时,共变化网络分析揭示出马缨杜鹃根系生态位之间,细菌和真菌彼此间互作。     

放牧和刈割对大针茅草原土壤微生物群落结构及多样性的影响

放牧和刈割是内蒙古草原的两种主要利用方式,然而,长期放牧和刈割对大针茅草原土壤微生物群落的影响知之甚少,因此,以内蒙古大针茅草原为研究对象,设置放牧和刈割两种利用方式,以围封不利用为对照,基于高通量测序技术,研究大针茅草原在不同利用方式下土壤微生物组成及多样性的变化,并结合土壤理化因子进一步探究土壤微生物群落组成的主要影响因素。研究结果表明：不同利用方式下土壤细菌α多样性指数无显著差异,而刈割显著提高了土壤真菌Observed＿species、Chao1和ACE指数;土壤细菌群落的优势菌门是变形菌门(Proteobacteria)和放线菌门(Actinobacteria),土壤真菌群落的优势菌门是子囊菌门(Ascomycota)和被孢霉门(Mortierellomycota),不同利用方式下部分微生物类群的相对丰度差异显著,放牧显著提高了细菌群落的变形菌门、疣微菌门(Verrucomicrobia)和芽单胞菌门(Gemmatimonadetes)的相对丰度,刈割显著提高了真菌群落的担子菌门(Basidiomycota)相对丰度,此外,放牧和刈割均显著降低了厚壁菌门(Firmicutes...     

污水处理过程中微生物群落多样性及其对环境因子响应的研究进展

污水生物处理系统的性能和稳定性与微生物群落结构和动态密切相关。通过深入了解活性污泥中微生物群落结构及其影响因素,有助于提高污水厂污染物的去除效果。在不同污水活性污泥处理系统中细菌群落主要以变形菌、绿弯菌、放线菌、厚壁菌和拟杆菌为功能菌群;活性污泥中寄居的大多数真菌来自于子囊菌门,还有少量担子菌门;古菌以产甲烷菌为主;而病毒中分布最广的噬菌体和致病性病毒是最主要的关注点。本文通过对相关文献分析及总结,综述了进水组成、不同处理工艺、参数(理化参数和运行参数)、地理位置和气候条件等环境因子对活性污泥中细菌、真菌、古菌以及病毒群落组成的影响,尽可能全面地介绍污水厂微生物群落多样性及其对环境因子的响应。同时,对未来研究方向进行探讨,以期能够为活性污泥中功能微生物的应用及调控提供理论和应用基础。     

秦岭石生苔藓结皮的微生物群落组成和多样性特征北大核心CSCD

苔藓结皮是地表重要的活性覆盖物,具有改善土壤性状、固土持水、固碳固氮等多种生态功能,微生物群落是苔藓结皮发挥生态功能的主要成分。为了探究湿润区石生苔藓结皮的微生物群落组成及其多样性特征,揭示其发育形成机制以及功能机理,该研究以秦岭北麓的泥峪、车峪、骆峪5个样地的石生苔藓结皮为研究对象,利用高通量测序技术,分析了石生苔藓结皮层的微生物群落组成、丰度、多样性,并测定分析养分与微生物群落的关系,为裸露岩石创面的生态修复提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)秦岭石生苔藓结皮层的全氮和有机质含量在4.16~8.26 g/kg、89.44~131.05 g/kg之间,且样点间均差异显著;全磷和全钾含量较低,分别为0.88~1.21 g/kg和13.50~18.10 g/kg。(2)秦岭石生苔藓结皮层中细菌占微生物群落组成的80%以上,且细菌的多样性也远高于真菌;其中细菌优势菌群为变形菌门(Proteobateria)、拟杆菌门(Bateroidetes)、放线菌门(Actinobacteria)和酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria),真菌优势菌群为子囊菌门(Ascomycota)和被孢霉菌门(Mortierellomycota)。(3)冗余分析(RDA)显示,全钾和有机质对优势细菌群落结构影响显著,变形菌和拟杆菌适宜生活在湿度大、营养状况良好的基质中;全磷和有机质对优势真菌群落结构影响显著,被孢霉菌门在低磷基质中更具生长优势。研究发现,细菌是秦岭石生苔藓结皮层的优势菌群,与旱区土生状况相比,秦岭石生苔藓结皮层的放线菌和酸杆菌的含量有所下降,而拟杆菌含量显著增加;对于真菌而言,子囊菌门和担子菌门的相对丰度明显减少,被孢菌门丰度显著增加;有机质是影响结皮层微生物群落组成最主要的养分因子,丰富的养分使湿润区石生苔藓结皮层的微生物群落结构更加复杂多样、物种组成更加丰富。     

徐州权台煤矿井下700m水平微生物群落分布特征

煤矿井下与表生环境具有明显差异,研究其微生物群落分布及多样性对深入探讨井下水-岩-气-生作用机制具有重要意义。本研究在徐州权台煤矿井下700 m水平采集了8个沉积物样本,对样品进行了理化指标测试和Miseq高通量测序。结果表明,煤矿井下具有丰富的微生物多样性,8个样本共检测到35个细菌门类,其中变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)和放线菌门(Actinobacteria)为优势菌门,其相对丰度之和占比超过80%;煤矿井下的优势菌属主要包括乳球菌属(Lactococcus)、假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、分枝杆菌属(Mycobacterium)和芽孢杆菌属(Bacillus)。从井下环境细菌群落分布来看,变形菌门和厚壁菌门主要分布在岩巷中,而放线菌门则主要分布在煤巷中。岩巷中的细菌多样性整体上高于煤巷。样本理化指标与微生物群落间的相关性分析表明,pH值是影响煤矿细菌群落门水平分布的主要因素(R2=0.766,P<0.05),其中放线菌、厚壁菌门和Latescibacteria与pH呈正相关,其他门类与pH呈负相关。TOC、总氮、总磷及硫酸盐对群落丰度分布也有一定的影响。因此,在煤矿污染机制及污染物迁移的研究中需充分考虑井下微生物的影响。     

墓室酥碱砖壁画及其环境的真菌多样性分析

【背景】酥碱是威胁古代墓室砖壁画保存的主要病害之一,水分和盐分共同作用下壁画产生酥碱病害,而其中真菌类群、来源及耐盐性鲜有报道。【目的】比较敦煌汉墓、晋墓和嘉峪关五号墓内砖壁画酥碱样品及其赋存环境空气中可培养真菌的群落组成、多样性及耐盐性,为砖壁画的防护提供理论依据。【方法】运用扫描电镜观察酥碱样品微观形貌,并结合能谱、X射线衍射进行成分分析;对样品培养、分离、纯化获得真菌纯菌株,运用形态和分子生物学技术鉴定种属;利用梯度含盐培养基研究菌株的耐盐性。【结果】墓室酥碱样品及环境空气中青霉属(Pencillium)、曲霉属(Aspergillus)和枝孢属(Cladosporium)丰度较高,为优势属;其他菌属包括镰孢菌属(Fusarium)和毛壳菌属(Chaetomium)为稀有属。三座墓室砖壁画酥碱中均存在烟曲霉(A.fumigatus)、花斑曲霉(A.versicolor)以及黄灰青霉(P.aurantiogriseum);酥碱样品与墓室内外空气中分离获得的真菌类群间有一定相似性。多数菌株可在含15%NaCl的培养基上生长,一株产黄青霉(P. chrysogenum)甚至可在30%盐浓度条件下生长。【结论】青霉属和曲霉属为墓室共有优势菌,多数菌株有较强的耐盐性。     

Metabolically active microbial communities of yellow and grey colonizations on the walls of Altamira Cave, Spain

Aims: To determine the major components of total and metabolically active microbial communities of yellow and grey colonizations threatening the conservation of palaeolithic paintings in Altamira Cave (Spain). Methods and Results: Micro‐organisms present in yellow and grey colonizations were determined from DNA analysis with those showing metabolic activity determined from RNA analysis. Microbial community fingerprints were obtained by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rDNA libraries were constructed from PCR amplified products. Proteobacteria was the most frequent bacterial phylum. Other phyla detected from RNA‐based microbial surveys were Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Nitrospirae and Gemmatimonadetes. The detected metabolically active micro‐organisms represented only a fraction of the total bacterial community present in the studied colonizations as compared from DGGE analysis. Conclusions: The major bacterial participants in the development of yellow and grey colonizations in Altamira Cave were determined using RNA‐based molecular techniques. Micro‐organisms showing undetectable activity represent a potential risk for the conservation of these paintings if environmental conditions experience variations. Significance and Impact of the Study: Caves with palaeolithic paintings are affected by microbial deterioration. Assessing the composition of the microbial communities colonizing these caves represents a first stage to understand and control these colonizations.     

Phylogenetic 16S rRNA analysis reveals the presence of complex and partly unknown bacterial communities in Tito Bustillo cave,Spain, and on its Palaeolithic paintings

Tito Bustillo cave (Ribadesella, Spain) contains valuable Palaeolithic paintings, which date back 15 000-20 000 years. Since 1969, the cave has been open to the public. Rock wall surfaces, spelaeothems and soils are covered by apparent biofilms of phototrophic microorganisms, which develop under artificial lighting. In addition, rock surfaces present conspicuous bacterial growth in the form of round colonies of different colours and about 1-2 mm in diameter. Even the famous Paintings Panel shows some evident microbial growth. In the present study, bacterial communities on the paintings and on the rock surfaces near the paintings were analysed by culture-independent techniques, including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA genes (16S rDNA), phylogenetic sequence analyses and genetic community fingerprinting by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). DGGE fingerprints showed complex bacterial community patterns. Forty-one clones matching DGGE bands of the community fingerprints were sequenced, representing about 39% of DNA fragments in the DGGE patterns. Phylogenetic sequence analyses revealed a high number of phylogenetically novel 16S rDNA sequence types and a high diversity of putatively chemotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria. Sequences were phylogenetically most closely related to the Proteobacteria (20 clones), green non-sulphur bacteria (three clones), Planctomycetales order (one clone), Cytophaga-Flexibacter- Bacteroides division (one clone) and the Actinobacteria (four clones). Furthermore, we report the presence of members of the Acidobacterium division (12 clones) in a karstic hypogean environment. Members of this phylum have not so far been detected in these particular environments.     

Diversity of microbial communities colonizing the walls of a Karstic cave in Slovenia

Karstic cave systems in Slovenia receive substantial amounts of organic input from adjacent forest and freshwater systems. These caves host microbial communities that consist of distinct small colonies differing in colour and shape. Visible to the naked eye, the colonies cover cave walls and are strewn with light-reflecting water droplets. In this study, the diversity of prokaryotes constituting these unusual microbial communities in Pajsarjeva jama cave was examined. A molecular survey based on small subunit rRNA diversity showed a high diversity within the Bacteria , while members of Archaea were not recovered. A total of eight bacterial phyla were detected. The application of various species richness estimators confirmed the diverse nature of the microbial community sample. Members of Gammaproteobacteria were most abundant in the clone libraries constructed and were followed in abundance by members of Actinobacteria and Nitrospira . In addition, members of Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria as well as Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi and Gemmatimonadetes were identified in clone libraries. The high number of clones most closely related to environmental 16S rRNA gene clones showed the broad spectrum of unknown and yet to be cultivated microorganisms inhabiting these cave systems.     

Biofilm Bacterial Communities Inhabiting the Cave Walls of the Buda Thermal Karst System,Hungary

The diversity of biofilm bacterial communities associated with cave walls of the Buda Thermal Karst System (BTKS) located in Hungary was studied by scanning electron microscopy and molecular cloning based on 16S rRNA genes. Samples from two sites, the Molnár János cave (MJB) and the Rudas-Török spring cave (RTB), respectively, were analyzed and compared. The presence of iron precipitates was typical at both study sites, despite the fact that the cell morphological structure of the biofilms observed by SEM was characteristically different. Clones analyzed from BTKS were found to belong to 10 common phyla (Thermodesulfobacteria, Chloroflexi, Nitrospirae, Chlorobi, Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Bacteroidetes, Verrucomicrobia) within the domain Bacteria. Moreover, sequences related to Aquificeae, Acidobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes were exclusive to MJB, while Cyanobacteria were found in RTB only. The phylogenetic distribution of the dominant bacterial clones was quite dissimilar between the two sites. In the biofilm from MJB clones affiliated with Firmicutes, whereas in the RTB clones related to Deltaproteobacteria were found in the highest number. In addition, substantially larger numbers of clone sequences related to thermophilic bacteria were recovered from MJB. On the basis of sequences of known microorganisms corresponding to our clone sequences, it is assumed that aerobic as well as anaerobic iron and sulfur transformation performed by different bacterial communities might be important biogenic processes in both caves.     

The bacterial aetiology of rosy discoloration of ancient wall paintings

The inventory of microorganisms responsible for biological deterioration of ancient paintings has become an integral part of restoration activities. Here, the microbial agent of rosy discoloration on medieval frescoes in the Crypt of the Original Sin (Matera, Italy) was investigated by a combination of microscopic, molecular and spectroscopic approaches. The bacterial community from three rosy-discoloured painting sites was characterized by 16S rRNA gene-based techniques. The eubacterial population was prevalently composed of Actinobacteria, among which Rubrobacter radiotolerans-related bacteria accounted for 63-87% of the 16S rRNA gene pool per sampled site. Archaea, with prevalence of Haloarchaea-related species, were detected in one of the three sites where they accounted for < 0.1% of the total 16S rRNA gene pool. Raman spectroscopy confirmed the identity between R. radiotolerans carotenoids (bacterioruberins) and pigments responsible for colour alteration of frescoes. This investigation provides the first evidence of a causal relationship between heavy contamination by Rubrobacter-related bacterioruberin-producing bacteria and rosy discoloration of ancient wall paintings.     

Cryogenic Minerals in Hawaiian Lava Tubes: A Geochemical and Microbiological Exploration

The Mauna Loa volcano, on the Island of Hawaii, has numerous young lava tubes. Among them, two at high altitudes are known to contain ice year-round: Mauna Loa Icecave (MLIC) and the Arsia Cave. These unusual caves harbor cold, humid, dark, and biologically restricted environments. Secondary minerals and ice were sampled from both caves to explore their geochemical and microbiological characteristics. The minerals sampled from the deep parts of the caves, where near freezing temperatures prevail, are all multi-phase and consist mainly of secondary amorphous silica SiO₂, cryptocrystalline calcite CaCO₃, and gypsum CaSO₄·2H₂O. Based on carbon and oxygen stable isotope ratios, all sampled calcite is cryogenic. The isotopic composition of falls on the global meteoric line, indicating that little evaporation has occurred. The microbial diversity of a silica and calcite deposit in the MLIC and from ice pond water in the Arsia Cave was explored by analysis of ～50,000 small subunit ribosomal RNA gene fragments via amplicon sequencing. Analyses reveal that the Hawaiian ice caves harbor unique microbial diversity distinct from other environments, including cave environments, in Hawaii and worldwide. Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria were the most abundant microbial phyla detected, which is largely consistent with studies of other oligotrophic cave environments. The cold, isolated, oligotrophic basaltic lava cave environment in Hawaii provides a unique opportunity to understand microbial biogeography not only on Earth but also on other planets.     

Microbial Diversity in Caves

Relatively stable physical conditions in caves allow for the examination of the relationship between geochemical processes and the activity of microorganisms, reflected in substantial rock alterations, formation of new structures, surface deterioration and cave expansion. Although caves are considered as extreme environments, they are inhabited by microbial communities with unexpected diversity. While Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria are the most ubiquitous groups, also the presence of Archaea has been frequently noted recently. Here, we present a summary of results on diversity of cave microorganisms in the context of taxon distribution as well as the contribution and role of individual taxa in cave ecosystems.     

Microbial Activity in Caves−A Geological Perspective

Caves are commonly the home of diverse microbial biotas, the sites of active mineral precipitation, and/or receptacles for the deposition of sediment. Mineral precipitation is commonly considered to be abiogenic despite the fact that microbes are present in caves, especially in the twilight zone. Detailed analysis of cave substrates from a geological perspective shows that microbes can mediate constructive (microbe calcification, trapping and binding, mediation of crystal growth) and destructive (substrate etching and breakdown) processes. Potentially these processes can significantly influence the formation and preservation of any cave deposit. Preservation of microbes is possible if mineralization takes place while the microbe is alive or shortly after its demise. If not, all record of the microbe will be lost to decay. Even if the microbes are preserved, it may be difficult to determine if they played an active or passive role in the formation of the deposits in which they are entombed. For old cave deposits, such an assessment must rely on spatial relationships and comparison of textures with those known to form as a result of microbial activity. Nevertheless, available evidence indicates that microbes can play a major role in the formation and modification of cave deposits. Equally, however, it is apparent that the full scope and impact of microbial activity on cave deposits has yet to be realized. Recognition of microbial activity in old CaCO 3 cave deposits relies on (1) documentation and recognition of mineralized microbes, (2) recognition of stromatolitic structures that formed through microbial activity, and/or (3) the identification of fabrics/textures that are known to be indicative of microbial activity. All of these criteria fundamentally rely on the interpretation of fabrics preserved in the cave deposits. Virtually all of these interpretations are open to debate.     

Assessment of Bacterial and Fungal Growth on Natural Substrates: Consequences for Preserving Caves with Prehistoric Paintings

The most representative bacterium (Pseudonocardia sp.) and fungus (Fusarium sp.) from the microbial communities of a cave containing paleolithic paintings were isolated and their growth on natural substrates assessed. Growth was tested at the in situ and optimal, laboratory growth temperature. Development was analyzed with and without supplemented nutrients (glucose, ammonium, phosphate, peptone). Results showed that the assayed bacterium on natural substrate was able to develop best at in situ temperature and the addition of organic nutrients and/or phosphate enhanced its growth. The growth of the assayed fungus, however, was limited by low temperature and the availability of ammonium. These results confirm a differential behavior of microorganisms between the laboratory and the natural environments and could explain previous invasion of fungi reported for some caves with prehistoric paintings.