Amuyo's Ponds metagenome
Amuyo Ponds (AP) is a group of three hydrothermal lagoons located 3,700 m above sea level in a pre-Andean setting in the Atacama Desert. Each pond shows a conspicuous green, red, or yellow coloration and discharges waters rich in arsenic and boron into the Caritaya River (Camarones Basin, Arica, and Parinacota Region, in northern Chile). Microorganisms at these ponds are subjected to harsh environmental conditions; then, what is the microbial composition and diversity in Amuyo Ponds sediments? Metagenomics analyses explored microbial life colonizing AP sediments. This approach showed a highly diverse microbial life dominated by members of the Bacterial Domain (a core bacteria of 813 genera) and included sequences associated with Archaea, Eukarya, and viruses. We also report putative functional capabilities related to virulence, defense genes, and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. Thirteen bacterial and fourteen virus metagenome-assembled genomes were reconstructed and are here informed. Further ecological and genomic inquiries on this striking Andean geosite are now open for new studies.