Open AccessInfluence of soil properties on archaeal diversity and distribution in the M c M urdo D ry V alleys, A ntarctica
Author(s) -
Richter Ingrid,
Herbold Craig W.,
Lee Charles K.,
McDonald Ian R.,
Barrett John E.,
Cary Stephen C.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
fems microbiology ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.377
H-Index - 155
eISSN - 1574-6941
pISSN - 0168-6496
DOI - 10.1111/1574-6941.12322
Subject(s) - archaea , species richness , biology , thaumarchaeota , euryarchaeota , ecology , soil water , pyrosequencing , crenarchaeota , terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism , restriction fragment length polymorphism , paleontology , polymerase chain reaction , biochemistry , bacteria , gene
A rchaea are the least understood members of the microbial community in A ntarctic mineral soils. Although their occurrence in Antarctic coastal soils has been previously documented, little is known about their distribution in soils across the M c M urdo D ry V alleys, V ictoria Land. In this study, terminal‐restriction fragment length polymorphism (t‐ RFLP ) analysis and 454 pyrosequencing were coupled with a detailed analysis of soil physicochemical properties to characterize archaeal diversity and identify environmental factors that might shape and maintain archaeal communities in soils of the three southern most M c M urdo D ry V alleys (Garwood, Marshall, and Miers Valley). A rchaea were successfully detected in all inland and coastal mineral soils tested, revealing a low overall richness (mean of six operational taxonomic units [ OTU s] per sample site). However, OTU richness was higher in some soils and this higher richness was positively correlated with soil water content, indicating water as a main driver of archaeal community richness. In total, 18 archaeal OTU s were detected, predominately T haumarchaeota affiliated with Marine Group 1.1b (> 80% of all archaeal sequences recovered). Less abundant OTU s (2% of all archaeal sequences) were loosely related to members of the phylum E uryarchaeota . This is the first comprehensive study showing a widespread presence and distribution of A rchaea in inland Antarctic soils.