title: Microbiology of the stalactites from Grotta dei Cervi, Porto Badisco, Italy.
abstract: The active stalactites from Grotta dei Cervi, Porto Badisco, southeastern Italy, were sampled to investigate the microbial communities present in these speleothems. Sampling was carried out in a transect about 150 m long in the central gallery, where numerous Gram-positive bacteria were isolated. Actinomycetes of the genus Streptomyces were the most abundant, followed by members of the genus Bacillus. Further isolates were assigned to the genera Amycolatopsis, Arthrobacter; Agromyces. Micrococcus, Nocardiopsis and Rhodococcus of the order Actinomycetales. The ability of actinomycetes to colonize subterranean environments is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología, CSIC, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Laiz
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Groth
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schumann
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zezza
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Felske
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hermosin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saiz-Jimenez
mesh_terms: D001154:Art; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D020378:Confined Spaces; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004463:Ecology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D013696:Temperature; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002119:Calcium Carbonate