title: Archaeal and bacterial diversity in five different hydrothermal ponds in the Copahue region in Argentina.
abstract: Copahue is an acidic geothermal volcanic region in the northwest corner of Neuquén Province, Argentina. In the area, there are various ponds, pools and hot springs with different temperatures, pH values and levels of anthropogenic influence. In this study, the prokaryotic biodiversity of five representative ponds was studied by using two complementary molecular ecology techniques: phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA bacterial and archaeal genes and FISH (or CARD-FISH) for quantitative estimation of biodiversity. The results, supported by multivariate statistical analysis, showed that the biodiversity in Copahue ponds seemed to be determined by temperature. High temperature ponds were dominated by archaea, mainly apparently novel representatives from the orders Sulfolobales and Thermoplasmatales that had no close cultivated relatives. By contrast, moderate temperature ponds were colonised by well-characterised sulphur-oxidising bacteria related to acidic environments, such as other geothermal sites or acid mine drainage, and archaea were absent. By combining the biodiversity results from this study and the reported physicochemical features of Copahue, a preliminary model of the possible biogeochemical interaction was outlined for moderate and high temperature ponds.
authors: CINDEFI (CCT La Plata-CONICET, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 47 y 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: msurbieta@biol.unlp.edu.ar.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sofía Urbieta
authors: Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Carretera de Ajalvir Km. 4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Elena González
authors: EG
authors: Toril
authors: IDEPA (CCT Comahue-CONICET, UNCo), Dpto. Química, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Buenos Aires 1400, 8300 Neuquén, Argentina.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Alejandra Giaveno
authors: Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Carretera de Ajalvir Km. 4, 28850, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Angeles Aguilera
authors: AA
authors: Bazán
authors: CINDEFI (CCT La Plata-CONICET, UNLP), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Calle 47 y 115, 1900 La Plata, Argentina.
authors: Edgardo R
authors: ER
authors: Donati
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D001118:Argentina; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D044822:Biodiversity; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D005843:Geography; D045482:Hot Springs / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D061005:Ponds / Q000382:microbiology*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
keywords: Environmental 16S rRNA clone libraries; Extremophiles; FISH; Geothermal environment biodiversity; Sulphur cycle