Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Cryptoendolithic microorganisms from Antarctic sandstone of Linnaeus Terrace (Asgard Range): diversity, properties and interactions

  • Papers
  • Published:
Biodiversity & Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Cryptoendolithic microorganisms from stratified communities in Antarctic sandstone were studied for physiological diversity and possible interactions. Cultures of 25 bacteria, five fungi, and two green algae from one boulder grew with a wide variety of organic carbon or nitrogen sources, they exhibited varied exoenzymatic activities and were psychrophilic or psychrotrophic. Many isolates excreted vitamins into the medium and were stimulated by other vitamins. Organic acid excretion and siderophore formation were common, but antibiotic activity was rare. Plasmids were found in 24% of the bacteria, and many of these strains showed resistance to antibiotics and heavy metals. A small plasmid (2.9 kb) from strain AA-341 was electrotransferred into sensitive isolates, thereby rendering these resistant to amplicillin and Cr3+ Bacterial cultures in spent algal medium and coculture with algae demonstrated beneficial (rarely inhibitory) interactions. A search for free organic compounds in zones of the sandstone community revealed sugars, sugar alcohols, organic acids and amino acids-in many cases the same compounds that were excreted into the laboratory medium. Data presented here indicate low taxonomic but high physiological diversity among these heterotrophic cryptoendoliths. This physiological diversity, as well as the spatial separation in layers with distinct activities, allows coexistence within the community and contributes to the stability of this ecosystem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aaronson, S., Dhawale, S.W., Patni, N.J., DeAngelis, B., Frank, O. and Baker, H. (1977) The cell content and secretion of water-soluble vitamins by several freshwater algae. Arch. Microbiol. 112, 57–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D.G. and McKay, L.L. (1983) Simple and rapid method for isolating large plasmid DNA from lactic streptococci. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 46, 549–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atlas, R.M. (1984) Use of microbial diversity measurements to assess environmental stress. In Current Perspectives in Microbial Ecology (M.J. Klug and C.A. Reddy, eds) pp. 540–5.

  • Atlas, R.M. and Bartha, R. (1987) Evolution and structure of microbial communities. Interactions among microbial populations In Microbial Ecology: Fundamentals and Applications, 2nd edn. Menlo Park, California: Benjamin/Cummings Publ. Comp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Atlas, R.M., Horowitz, A., Krichevsky, M. and Bej, A.K. (1991) Response of microbial populations to environmental disturbance. Microb. Ecol. 22, 249–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Badoud, R. and Pratz, G. (1986) Improved high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of some carboxylic acids in food and beverages as their p-nitrophenyl esters. J. Chromatogr. 360, 119–36.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bird, O.D. (1963) Pantothenic acid and related compounds. In Analytical Microbiology (F. Kavanagh, ed.) New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bold, H.C. (1970) Some aspects of the taxonomy of soil algae. Annu. New York Acad. Sci. 175, 601–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bull, A.T. and Slater, J.H. (1982) Microbial interactions and community structure. In Microbial Interactions and Communities (A.T. Bull and J.H. Slater, eds) pp. 13–44. London: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caccamo, F., Carfagninii, G., Di Corcia, A. and Samperi, R. (1986) Improved high-performance liquid chromatography assays for determining organic acids in wine. J. Chromatogr. 362, 47–53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell, I.B. and Claridge, G.G.C. (1987) Antarctica: Soils, Weathering Processes, and Environment. Amsterdam: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dommergues, S.J. and Duchauffoir, P.K. (1965) Étude comparative de la dégradation biologique des complexes organo-ferriques dans quelques types des sols. Sci. du Sol 1, 43–59.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donderski, W. and Strzelczyk, E. (1974) Generic composition and nutritional requirements of bacteria isolated from three lakes. Acta Microbiol. Polon. Ser. B. 2, 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, A.G. and Stephanopoulos, G. (1981) Microbial competition. Science 213, 972–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E.I. (1978) Melting snow in the dry valleys is a source of water for endolithic microorganisms. Antarct. J. USA 13, 162–3.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E.I. and Kibler, A.P. (1980) Nitrogen economy of endolithic microbial communities in hot and cold deserts. Microb. Ecol. 6, 95–108.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E.I. and Ocampo, R. (1976) Endolithic blue-green algae in the dry valleys: primary producers and the Antarctic desert ecosystem. Science 193, 1247–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E.I., McKay, C.P. and Nienow, J. (1987) The cryptoendolithic microbial environment in Ross Desert of Antarctica: continuous nanoclimate data, 1984–1986. Polar Biol. 7, 273–87.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedmann, E.I., Hua, M. and Ocampo-Friedmann, R. (1988) Cryptoendolithic lichen and cyanobacterial communities of the Ross Desert, Antarctica. Polarforsch. 58, 251–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fuhrman, J.A. and Ferguson, R.L. (1986) Nanomolar concentrations and rapid turnover of dissolved free amino acids in seawater: agreement between chemical and microbiological measurements. Mar. Ecol. Progr. Ser. 33, 237–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gallikowski, C. and Hirsch, P. (1988) Preliminary characterisation and identification of 1984/85 continental Antarctic soil microorganisms of Linnaeus Terrace (altitude 1600 m; McMurdo Dry Valleys). Polarforsch. 58, 93–101.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gliesche, G.G., Jendrach, M., Peissl, K., Siebert, J. and Hirsch, P. (1996) Characterization and transformation of plasmid pAA-1 found in an Antarctic cryptoedolithic bacterium. Canad. J. Microbiol. 42, 571–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greenfield, L.G. (1988) Forms of nitrogen in Beacon sandstone rocks containing endolithic microbial communities in Southern Victoria Land, Antarctica. Polarforsch. 58, 211–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haas, R.H., Breuer, J. and Hammen, M. (1988) High-performance liquid chromatographic measurement of selected blood citric acid cycle intermediates. J. Chromatog. 425, 47–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirsch, P. (1987) Primary microbial colonisation of Beacon sandstone in the Dry Valleys, Ross Desert, Antarctica. Abstr., 8th Internal. Sympos. Environm. Biogeochem., Nancy.

  • Hirsch, P., Hoffmann, B., Gallikowski, C.C., Mevs, U., Siebert, J. and Sittig, M. (1988) Diversity and identification of heterotrophs from Antarctic rocks of the McMurdo dry valleys (Ross Desert). Polarforsch. 58, 261–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoppe, H.G. (1993) Use of fluorogenic model substrates for extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) measurement of bacteria. In Handbook of Methods in Aquatic Microbial Ecology (P.F. Kemp, B.F. Sherr, E.B. Sherr and J.J. Kohl, eds) pp. 423–31). Boca Raton: Lewis Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Horowitz, N.H., Cameron, R.E. and Hubbard, J.S. (1972) Microbiology of the dry valleys of Antarctica. Science 176, 242–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kavanagh, F. (1963) Analytical Microbiology (F. Kavanagh, ed.). New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kay, W.W. and Cameron, M. (1978) Citrate transport in Salmonella typhimurinum. Arch. Biochem. 190, 270–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knapp, D.R. (1979) Handbook of Analytical Derivatisation Reactions. New York: Wiley Interscience.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobori, H., Sullivan, C.W. and Shizuya, H. (1984) Bacterial plasmids in Antarctic natural microbial assemblages. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 48, 515–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kölbel-Boelke, J., Tienken, B. and Nehrkorn, A. (1988) Microbial communities in the saturated groundwater environment. 1. Methods of isolation and characterisation of heterotrophic bacteria. Microb. Ecol. 16.

  • Kurata, A. (1981) The production of B group vitamins by epiphytic microorganisms on macrophytes in Lake Biwa. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 21, 596–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lemons, M.L., Toranzo, A.E. and Barja, J.L. (1985) Antibiotic activity of epiphytic bacteria isolated from intertidal seaweeds. Microb. Ecol. 11, 149–63.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lochhead, A.G. and Burton, M.O. (1957) Qualitative studies of soil microorganisms. XIV. Specific vitamin requirements of the predominant bacterial flora. Can. J. Microbiol. 3, 35–42.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKay, C.P. and Friedmann, E.I. (1985) The cryptoendolithic microbial environment in the Antarctic cold desert: Temperature variations in nature. Polar Biol. 4, 19–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nealson, K.H. (1977) Autoinduction of bacterial luciferase. Arch. Mikrobiol. 112, 73–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neyra, C.A., Döbereiner, J., Lalande, R. and Knowles, R. (1977) Denitrification by N2-fixing Spirillum lipoferum. Can. J. Microbiol. 23, 300–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nienow, J.A., McKay, C.P. and Friedmann, E.I. (1988) The cryptoendolithic microbial environment in the Ross Desert of Antarctica: Light in the photosynthetically active region. Microb. Ecol. 16, 271–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nikolov, Z. and Reilly, P.J. (1983) Isothermal capillary column gas chromatography of trimethylsilyl disaccharides. J. Chromatogr. 254, 157–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ottow, J.C. and Zolg, W. (1974) Improved procedure and colorimetric test for the detection of ortho- and meta-cleavage of protocatechuate by Pseudomonas isolates. Can. J. Microbiol. 20, 1059–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Palmer, R.J., Siebert, J. and Hirsch, P. (1991) Biomass and organic acids in sandstone of a weathering building: Production by bacterial and fungal isolates. Microb. Ecol. 21, 253–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porter, K. and Feig, Y.S. (1980) The use of DAPI for identifying and counting aquatic microflora. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25, 943–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, D.H., Hill, D.H. and Smith, D.C. (1968) Lichen physiology. XI. The role of the alga in determining the pattern of carbohydrate movement between lichen symbionts. New Phytol. 67, 469–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweisfurth, R. (1968) Untersuchungen bei manganoxidierenden und reduzierenden Mikroorganismen. Mitt. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 14, 179–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwyn, B. and Neilands, J.B. (1987) Universal chemical assay for the detection and determination of siderophores. Anal. Biochem. 160, 47–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, J. and Hirsch, P. (1988) Characterisation of 15 selected coccal bacteria isolated from Antarctic rock and soil samples from the McMurdo Dry Valleys (South Victoria Land). Polar Biol. 9, 37–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siebert, J., Palmer, R.J. and Hirsch, P. (1991) Analysis of free amino acids in microbially colonised sandstone by pre-column phenylisothiocyanate derivatisation and high-performance liquid chromatography. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 57, 879–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Skeggs, H.R. (1963) Biotin. In Analytical Microbiology (F. Kavanagh, ed.) pp. 421–30. New York: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smibert, R.M. and Krieg, N.R. (1981) General characterisation. Manual of Methods for General Microbiology (P. Gerhard ed.) pp. 409–33. Washington: America Society for Microbiology.

    Google Scholar 

  • Staley, J.T. (1968) Prosthecomicrobium and Ancalomicrobium, new prosthecate fresh water bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 95, 1922–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tedrow, J.C. and Ugolini, F. C. (1960) Antarctic soils. In Antarctic Soils and Soil-forming Processes (J.C. Tedrow, ed.) Am. Geophys. Union Antarct. Res. Ser. 8, 161–77.

  • van Veldhoven, P.P. and Mannaertz, G.P. (1987) Inorganic and organic phosphate measurements in the nanomolecular range. Analyt. Biochem. 161, 45–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal, J.R. (1988a) Biomass of the cryptoendolithic microbiota from the Antarctic desert. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54, 957–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal, J.R. (1988b) Carbon metabolism of the cryptoendolithic microbiota from the Antarctic desert. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 54, 960–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal, J.R. (1988c) Primary production of the cryptoendolithic microbiota from the Antarctic desert. Polarforsch. 58, 193–8.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, D.C., Davis, W.M., Nickels, J.S., King, J.D. and Bobbie, R.J. (1979) Determination of the sedimentary microbial biomass by extractable phosphate. Oecologia 40, 51–62.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, S.T. and Vickers, J.C. (1986) The ecology of antibiotic production. Microb. Ecol. 12, 43–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wynn-Williams, D.D. (1986) Microbial colonisation of Antarctic fellfield soils. Perspectives in Microbial Ecology (F. Megusar and M. Gantar, eds) pp. 191–200, Ljubljana: Slovene Society for Microbiology.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Schülke und Mayr, Robert Koch-Str. 2, D-22840, Norderstedt, Germany

    J. Siebert

  2. Institut für Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Christian Albrechts-Universität Kiel, Am Botanischen Garten 1-9, D-24118, Kiel, Germany

    P. Hirsch, B. Hoffmann & C. G. Gliesche

  3. Appligene Oncor, Buckhörner Moor 74a, D-22846, Norderstedt, Germany

    K. Peissl

  4. Institut f. Virologie und Immunologie, Universität Würzburg, Versbacher Str. 7, D-97078, Würzburg, Germany

    M. Jendrach

Authors
  1. J. Siebert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. Hirsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. B. Hoffmann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. G. Gliesche
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. Peissl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M. Jendrach
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Siebert, J., Hirsch, P., Hoffmann, B. et al. Cryptoendolithic microorganisms from Antarctic sandstone of Linnaeus Terrace (Asgard Range): diversity, properties and interactions. Biodivers Conserv 5, 1337–1363 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051982

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00051982

Keywords

Search

Navigation