Phylogenetic diversity of archaea and the archaeal ammonia monooxygenase gene in uranium mining-impacted locations in Bulgaria.
Uranium mining and milling activities adversely affect the microbial populations of impacted sites. The negative effects of uranium on soil bacteria and fungi are well studied, but little is known about the effects of radionuclides and heavy metals on archaea. The composition and diversity of archaeal communities inhabiting the waste pile of the Sliven uranium mine and the soil of the Buhovo uranium mine were investigated using 16S rRNA gene retrieval. A total of 355 archaeal clones were selected, and their 16S rDNA inserts were analysed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) discriminating 14 different RFLP types. All evaluated archaeal 16S rRNA gene sequences belong to the 1.1b/Nitrososphaera cluster of Crenarchaeota. The composition of the archaeal community is distinct for each site of interest and dependent on environmental characteristics, including pollution levels. Since the members of 1.1b/Nitrososphaera cluster have been implicated in the nitrogen cycle, the archaeal communities from these sites were probed for the presence of the ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA). Our data indicate that amoA gene sequences are distributed in a similar manner as in Crenarchaeota, suggesting that archaeal nitrification processes in uranium mining-impacted locations are under the control of the same key factors controlling archaeal diversity.
Helmholtz-Centre Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany ; Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academic G. Bonchev Street, Building 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Galina
G
Radeva
Faculty of Biology, Sofia University, 8 Dragan Tsankov Boulevard, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Anelia
A
Kenarova
Institute of Molecular Biology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Academic G. Bonchev Street, Building 21, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Velina
V
Bachvarova
Helmholtz-Centre Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany.
Katrin
0000-0002-3954-7682
K
Flemming
Molecular Medicine Centre, Medical University of Sofia, 1 Georgy Sofiiski Street, 1431 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Ivan
I
Popov
Agrobioinstitute, 8 Dragan Tsankov Boulevard, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria.
Dimitar
0000-0002-2478-7528
D
Vassilev
Helmholtz-Centre Dresden-Rossendorf, Institute of Resource Ecology, Bautzner Landstraße 400, 01328 Dresden, Germany.
Sonja
S
Selenska-Pobell
D002031:Bulgaria; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019615:Crenarchaeota / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology
D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C045582:ammonia monooxygenase