Crognale Simona, Amalfitano Stefano, Casentini Barbara, Di Pippo Francesca, Fazi Stefano, Tonanzi Barbara, Rossetti Simona
Water Research Institute, National Research Council of Italy, CNR-IRSA, Area Della Ricerca RM1, Via Salaria Km 29.300, Monterotondo, Rome, 00015, Italy.
National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Piazza Marina 61, Palermo, 90133, Italy.
Sci Rep. 2025 Aug 7;15(1):28941. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-14813-3.
The complex structure and dynamics of geothermal ecosystems strongly affect the spatial distribution and activity of aquatic microbial communities. The interactions between groundwaters and thermal waters represent an additional selective factor. A deeper understanding of microbial diversity, metabolic potential, and ecological interactions in groundwater mixing zones is essential for evaluating their impact on biogeochemical cycles (such as sulfur, nitrogen, and carbon) and predicting the ecological consequences of water mixing on ecosystem functioning. In this study, the taxonomic diversity and metabolic potentialities of microbial communities in groundwater and thermal waters revealed the occurrence of novel thermophiles able to cope with extreme physical-chemical conditions and high concentrations of toxic elements, such as arsenic, characteristics of the studied area. Furthermore, a core microbiome composed of the families Burkholderiaceae, Caulobacteraceae, Halothiobacillaceae, and Sulfurovaceae was identified as markers of the interaction between the two water compartments. Our findings emphasize the key role of microbial communities in S-, As-, and N-related biogeochemical cycles of geothermal areas.
地热生态系统的复杂结构和动态变化强烈影响着水生微生物群落的空间分布和活性。地下水与热水之间的相互作用是另一个选择因素。深入了解地下水混合区的微生物多样性、代谢潜力和生态相互作用，对于评估它们对生物地球化学循环（如硫、氮和碳循环）的影响以及预测水混合对生态系统功能的生态后果至关重要。在本研究中，对地下水和热水中微生物群落的分类多样性和代谢潜力进行了研究，发现了能够应对极端物理化学条件和高浓度有毒元素（如砷，这是研究区域的特征）的新型嗜热菌。此外，由伯克霍尔德氏菌科、柄杆菌科、嗜盐硫杆菌科和硫还原菌科组成的核心微生物群被确定为两个水层之间相互作用的标志物。我们的研究结果强调了微生物群落在地热区与硫、砷和氮相关的生物地球化学循环中的关键作用。
