Microbial Colonization of the Salt Deposits in the Driest Place of the Atacama Desert (Chile)

Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres

Volumn 42, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 187-200

  Stivaletta, Nunzia ^a   Barbieri, Roberto ^a   Billi, Daniela ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF BOLOGNA   (Italy)

^b UNIVERSITY OF ROME TOR VERGATA   (Italy)

Author keywords

16S rDNA clone library; Atacama Desert; Endoliths; Extremophiles; Halite

Indexed keywords

PRIMER DNA; RNA 16S;

ADAPTATION; ARID REGION; BACTERIUM; COLONIZATION; CONCENTRATION (COMPOSITION); CYANOBACTERIUM; ENDOLITHON; ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS; EXTREMOPHILE; GENETIC ANALYSIS; GEOMICROBIOLOGY; HALITE; IRRADIATION; METAL; MICROBIAL COMMUNITY; SPECIES DIVERSITY;

ARTICLE; BACTERIUM; CHILE; GENETICS; GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND AGING; ISOLATION AND PURIFICATION; NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE; POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION; RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH POLYMORPHISM; SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY;

BACTERIA; BASE SEQUENCE; CHILE; DNA PRIMERS; MICROSCOPY, ELECTRON, SCANNING; POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION; POLYMORPHISM, RESTRICTION FRAGMENT LENGTH; RNA, RIBOSOMAL, 16S;

ATACAMA; ATACAMA DESERT; CHILE; SALAR GRANDE BASIN;

ACTINOBACTERIA; BACTERIA (MICROORGANISMS); CHROOCOCCIDIOPSIS; CYANOBACTERIA; FIRMICUTES; GAMMAPROTEOBACTERIA;

EID: 84864279258     PISSN: 01696149     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1007/s11084-012-9289-y     Document Type: Article

References (39)

1. Altschul SF, Gish W, Miller W, Myers EW, Lipman DJ (1990) Basic local alignment search tool. J Mol Biol 215: 403-410.
2. Anderson RB, Bell JF III (2010) Geological mapping and characterization of Gale Crater and implications for its potential as a Mars Science Laboratory landing site. Mars 5: 76-128.
3. Barbieri R, Cavalazzi B, Stivaletta N, Capaccioni B (2009) Life at the extreme: physical environments and microorganisms in the Atacama region (Chile). In: Rossi PL (ed) Geological Constraints on the Onset and Evolution of an Extreme Environment: the Atacama Area. GeoActa Spec Publ 2, pp 141-153.
4. Billi D (2009) Subcellular integrities in Chroococcidiopsis sp. CCMEE 029 survivors after prolonged desiccation revealed by molecular probes and genome stability assays. Extremophiles 13: 49-57.
5. Billi D, Potts M (2002) Life and death of dried prokaryotes. Res Microbiol 153: 7-12.
6. Billi D, Grilli Caiola M, Paolozzi L, Ghelardini P (1998) A method for DNA extraction from the desert cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis and its application to identification of ftsZ. Appl Environ Microbiol 64: 4053-4056.
7. Billi D, Friedmann EI, Helm RF, Potts M (2001) Gene transfer to the desiccation-tolerant cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis. J Bacteriol 183: 2298-2305.
8. Bohlke JK, Ericksen GE, Revesz KM (1997) Stable isotope evidence for an atmospheric origin of desert nitrate deposits in northern Chile and Southern California, U. S. A. Chem Geol 136: 135-152.
9. Cai L, Liu G, Rensing C, Wang G (2009) Genes involved in arsenic tranformation and resistance associated with different levels of arsenic-contaminated soils. BMC Microbiol 9: 1-11.
10. Campos VL, Leon C, Mondaca MA, Yanez J, Zarir C (2011) Arsenic mobilization by epilithic bacterial communities associated with volcanic rocks from Camerones River, Atacama Desert, northern Chile. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 61: 185-192.
11. Chong G (1988) The Cenozoic saline deposits of the Chilean Andes between 18°00′ and 27°00′ south latitude. In: Bahlburg H, Breitkreuz C, Giese P (eds) The Southern Central Andes. Lect Notes Earth Scie 17: 137-151.
12. Chong G, Mendoza M, García-Veigas J, Pueyo JJ, Turner P (1999) Evolution and geochemical signatures in a Neogene forearc evaporitic basin: the Salar Grande (Central Andes of Chile). Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 15: 39-54.
13. Clarke JDA (2006) Antiquity of aridity in the Chilean Atacama Desert. Geomorphol 73: 101-114.
14. Connon SA, Lester ED, Shafaat HS, Obenhuber DC, Ponce A (2007) Bacterial diversity in hyperarid Atacama Desert soils. J Geophys Res 112: G04S17.
15. Davila AF, Gomez-Silva B, De los Rios A, Ascaso C, Olivares H, McKay CP, Wierzchos J (2008) Facilitation of endolithic microbial survival in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert by mineral deliquenscence. J Geophys Res 113: G01028.
16. De los Ríos A, Valea S, Ascaso C, Davila A, Kastovsky J, McKay CP, Gómez-Silva B, Wierzchos J (2010) Comparative analysis of the microbial communities inhabiting halite evaporites of the Atacama Desert. Int Microbiol 13: 79-89.
17. Dong H, Rech JA, Jiang H, Sun H, Buck BJ (2007) Endolithic cyanobacteria in soil gypsum: occurrences in Atacama (Chile), Mojave (United States), and Al-Jafr Basin (Jordan) Deserts. J Geophys Res 112: G02030.
18. Ericksen GE (1981) Geology and origin of the Chilean nitrate deposits. U S Geol Surv, Prof Pap 1188: 1-37.
19. Escalante G, Campos VL, Valenzuela C, Yanez J, Zaror C, Mondaca MA (2009) Arsenic resistant bacteria isolated from arsenic contaminated river in the Atacama Desert (Chile). Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 83: 657-661.
20. Friedmann EI (1982) Endolithic microorganisms in the Antarctic cold desert. Science 215: 1045-1053.
21. Garcia-Veigas J, Chong G, Pueyo J (1996) Mineralogy and geochemistry of the Salar Grande salt rock (I Región de Tarapacá, Chile). Genetic implications. ISAG 96: Symposium International sur la Géodynamique Andine 3, Saint-Malo, ORSTOM, 1996, pp 679-682.
22. Hollingworth SE (1964) Dating the uplift of the Andes of northern Chile. Nature 20: 17-20.
23. Houston J, Hartley AJ (2003) The Central Andean west-slope rain shadow and its potential contribution to the origin of hyperaridity in the Atacama Desert. Int J Climatol 23: 1453-1464.
24. Kuhlman KR, Venkat P, La Duc MT, Kuhlman GM, McKay CP (2008) Evidence of a microbial community associated with rock varnish at Yungay, Atacama Desert, Chile. J Geophys Res 113: G04022.
25. Lane DJ, Pace B, Olsen GJ, Stahl DA, Sogin ML, Pace NR (1985) Rapid determination of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences for phylogenetic analyses. Proc Nat Acad Scie 82: 6955-6959.
26. McKay CP, Friedmann EI, Warthon RA, Davies WL (1992) History of water on Mars: a biological perspective. Adv Space Res 12: 231-238.
27. Mortimer C (1973) The Cenozoic of the southern Atacama Desert, Chile. J Geol Soc London 129: 505-526.
28. Navarro-Gonzãles R, Rainey FA, Molina P, Bagaley DR, Hollen BJ, de la Rosa J, Small AM, Quinn RC, Grunthaner FJ, Caceres L, Gomez-Silva B, McKay CP (2003) Mars-like soils in the Atacama Desert, Chile, and the dry limit of microbial life. Science 302: 1018-1021.
29. Osterloo MM, Anderson FS, Hamilton VE, Hynek BM (2010) Geologic context of proposed chloride-bearing materials on Mars. J Geophys Res 115: E10012.
30. Osterloo MM, Hamilton VE, Banfield JL, Glotch TD, Baldridge AM, Christensen PR, Tornabene LL, Anderson FS (2008) Chloride bearing materials in southern highlands of Mars. Science 319: 1651-1654.
31. Parrish JT, Curtis RL (1982) Atmospheric circulation, upwelling, organic-rich rocks in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol, Palaeoecol 40: 31-66.
32. Risacher F, Alonso H, Salazar C (2003) The origin of brines and salts in Chilean salars: a hydrochemical review. Earth-Scie Rev 63: 249-293.
33. Smedley PL, Kinniburgh DG (2002) A review of the source, behaviour and distribution of arsenic in natural waters. Appl Geochem 17: 517-568.
34. Squyres SW, Arvidson RE, Bell JF III, Brückner J, Cabrol NA, Calvin W, Carr MH, Christensen PR, Clark BC, Crumpler L, Des Marais DJ, d'Uston C, Economou T, Farmer J, Farrand W, Folkner W, Golombek M, Gorevan S, Grant JA, Greeley R, Grotzinger J, Haskin L, Herkenhoff KE, Hviid S, Johnson J, Klingelhöfer G, Knoll AH, Landis G, Lemmon M, Li R, Madsen MB, Malin MC, McLennan SM, McSween HY, Ming DW, Moersch J, Morris RV, Parker T, Rice JW Jr, Richter L, Rieder R, Sims M, Smith M, Smith P, Soderblom LA, Sullivan R, Wänke H, Wdowiak T, Wolff M, Yen A (2004) The opportunity Rover's Athena Science Investigation at Meridiani Planum, Mars. Science 306: 1698-1701.
35. Stivaletta N, Barbieri R (2009) Endolithic microorganisms from spring mound evaporite deposits (southern Tunisia). J Arid Environ 73: 33-39.
36. Stivaletta N, Barbieri R, Picard C, Bosco M (2009) Astrobiological significance of the sabkha life and environments of southern Tunisia. Planet Space Sci 57: 597-605.
37. Stivaletta N, Barbieri R, López-García P, Cevenini F (2011) Physicochemical conditions and microbial diversity associated with the evaporite deposits in the Laguna de la Piedra (Salar de Atacama, Chile). Geomicrobiol J 28: 83-95.
38. Wierzchos J, Ascaso C, Mckay CP (2006) Endolithic cyanobacteria in halite rocks from the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. Astrobiol 6: 1-7.
39. Wierzchos J, Cámara B, De Los RA, Davila AF, Sánchez Almazo IM, Artieda O, Wierzchos K, Gómez-Silva B, Mckay C, Ascaso C (2011) Microbial colonization of Ca-sulfate crusts in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert: implications for the search for life on Mars. Geobiol 9: 44-60.