Open AccessDiversity and distribution of fungal communities in lakes of A ntarctica
Author(s) -
Gonçalves Vívian N.,
Vaz Aline B.M.,
Rosa Carlos A.,
Rosa Luiz H.
Publication year - 2012
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/j.1574-6941.2012.01424.x
Subject(s) - biology , dominance (genetics) , operational taxonomic unit , species richness , ecology , chytridiomycota , arctic , ascomycota , bacteria , biochemistry , genetics , 16s ribosomal rna , gene
Abstract This study assessed the diversity and distribution of filamentous fungi obtained from water sampled from six lakes in the A ntarctic P eninsula. One hundred and twenty‐eight fungal isolates were purified and identified by analysis of nuclear r DNA ITS region sequences as belonging to 31 fungal different operational taxonomic units ( OTU s). The most frequently isolated fungi were G eomyces pannorum and M ortierella sp.; these species occurred in six and three of the lakes sampled, respectively, and displayed the highest total colony‐forming unit per L. Different species that have not been found to these lakes and/or had adapted to cold conditions were found. In general, the fungal community displayed low richness and high dominance indices. The species C adophora cf. luteo‐olivacea , C adophora malorum , D avidiella tassiana , G . pannorum , M ortierella cf. alpina and T helebolus cf. microsporus that were found in the lakes in question were also previously found in other cold ecosystems, such as A rctic, temperate and A lpine regions. The results of this study suggest the presence of an interesting aquatic fungal web, including symbionts, weak and strong saprophytes and parasite/pathogen fungal species. This aquatic web fungal may be a useful community model for further ecological and evolutionary studies of extreme habitats.