Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Medical Laboratory Technology Department, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Folia Biol (Praha). 2020;66(1):24-35. doi: 10.14712/fb2020066010024.
Microbial mats in hot springs form a dynamic ecosystem and support the growth of diverse communities with broad-ranging metabolic capacity. In this study, we used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to analyse microbial communities in mat samples from two hot springs in Al Aridhah, Saudi Arabia. Putative metabolic pathways of the microbial communities were identified using phylogenetic investigation of communities by reconstruction of unobserved states (PICRUSt). Filamentous anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria associated with phylum Chloroflexi were abundant (> 50 %) in both hot springs at 48 °C. Chloroflexi were mainly represented by taxa Chloroflexus followed by Roseiflexus. Cyanobacteria of genus Arthrospira constituted 3.4 % of microbial mats. Heterotrophic microorganisms were mainly represented by Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. Archaea were detected at a lower relative abundance (< 1 %). Metabolic pathways associated with membrane transport, carbon fixation, methane metabolism, amino acid biosynthesis, and degradation of aromatic compounds were commonly found in microbial mats of both hot springs. In addition, pathways for production of secondary metabolites and antimicrobial compounds were predicted to be present in microbial mats. In conclusion, microbial communities in the hot springs of Al Aridhah were composed of diverse bacteria, with taxa of Chloroflexus being dominant.
温泉中的微生物垫形成了一个动态的生态系统，支持着具有广泛代谢能力的多样化群落的生长。在这项研究中，我们使用 16S rRNA 基因扩增子测序来分析来自沙特阿拉伯阿尔阿里达赫两个温泉的垫样品中的微生物群落。使用群落重建的未观察状态的系统发育分析（PICRUSt）来识别微生物群落的推测代谢途径。与绿弯菌门相关的丝状厌氧光养细菌在两个温泉中都很丰富（> 50%），温度为 48°C。绿弯菌门主要由 Chloroflexus 分类群代表，其次是 Roseiflexus。微囊藻属的蓝细菌构成了微生物垫的 3.4%。异养微生物主要由变形菌门、放线菌门、拟杆菌门和厚壁菌门组成。古菌的相对丰度较低（< 1%）。在两个温泉的微生物垫中都普遍存在与膜转运、碳固定、甲烷代谢、氨基酸生物合成和芳香族化合物降解相关的代谢途径。此外，预测微生物垫中存在次级代谢产物和抗菌化合物的产生途径。总之，阿尔阿里达赫温泉中的微生物群落由多种细菌组成，其中 Chloroflexus 分类群占优势。
