Titel
Microbial Diversity and Activity of Biofilms from Geothermal Springs in Croatia
Autor*in
Ema Kostešić
Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute
Maja Mitrović
Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute
Katarina Kajan
Division of Materials Chemistry, Ruđer Bošković Institute
... show all
Abstract
Hot spring biofilms are stable, highly complex microbial structures. They form at dynamic redox and light gradients and are composed of microorganisms adapted to the extreme temperatures and fluctuating geochemical conditions of geothermal environments. In Croatia, a large number of poorly investigated geothermal springs host biofilm communities. Here, we investigated the microbial community composition of biofilms collected over several seasons at 12 geothermal springs and wells. We found biofilm microbial communities to be temporally stable and highly dominated by Cyanobacteria in all but one high-temperature sampling site (Bizovac well). Of the physiochemical parameters recorded, temperature had the strongest influence on biofilm microbial community composition. Besides Cyanobacteria, the biofilms were mainly inhabited by Chloroflexota, Gammaproteobacteria, and Bacteroidota. In a series of incubations with Cyanobacteria-dominated biofilms from Tuhelj spring and Chloroflexota- and Pseudomonadota-dominated biofilms from Bizovac well, we stimulated either chemoorganotrophic or chemolithotrophic community members, to determine the fraction of microorganisms dependent on organic carbon (in situ predominantly produced via photosynthesis) versus energy derived from geochemical redox gradients (here simulated by addition of thiosulfate). We found surprisingly similar levels of activity in response to all substrates in these two distinct biofilm communities, and observed microbial community composition and hot spring geochemistry to be poor predictors of microbial activity in the study systems.
Stichwort
Hot springBiofilm16S rRNA gene amplicon analysisBONCATCARD-FISH
Objekt-Typ
Sprache
Englisch [eng]
Persistent identifier
Erschienen in
Titel
Microbial Ecology
Band
86
Ausgabe
4
ISSN
0095-3628
Erscheinungsdatum
2023
Seitenanfang
2305
Seitenende
2319
Publication
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Erscheinungsdatum
2023
Zugänglichkeit
Rechte
Rechteangabe
© The Author(s) 2023
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