dc.contributor.author |
De los Ríos, Asunción
|
|
dc.contributor.author |
Cary, Craig
|
|
dc.contributor.author |
Cowan, Don A.
|
|
dc.date.accessioned |
2015-01-28T06:01:09Z |
|
dc.date.available |
2015-01-28T06:01:09Z |
|
dc.date.issued |
2014-12 |
|
dc.description.abstract |
Hypolithic communities represent important reservoirs of microbial life in
hyper-arid deserts. A number of studies on the diversity and ecology of these
communities from different geographic areas have been reported in the past decade, but
the spatial distribution of the different components of these communities is still not
understood. Moss- and cyanobacteria-dominated hypolithic communities morphotypes
from Miers Valley (McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica) were analyzed by electron
microscopy in order to characterize the micro-scale spatial structure. The two
communities showed a high degree of internal organization, but differing according to
the biological composition. In moss-dominated hypoliths, the moss plantlets are
intermixed with mineral fragments of soil origin. However, in cyanobacteria-dominated
hypoliths, a layered spatial organization was structured by filamentous cyanobacteria
and associated extracellular polymeric components. While moss cells were lacking in
cyanobacteria-dominated communities, biofilms formed by cyanobacteria and
heterotrophic bacteria were observed in both community morphotypes. The waterholding
capacity of both live and dead moss cells and the associated organic matrix,
together with the protective properties of the extracellular polymeric substances, could
facilitate the survival and activity of these communities. Similar structural strategies can
favour the survival of microbial communities in different extreme environments. |
en_ZA |
dc.description.embargo |
2015-12-31 |
en_ZA |
dc.description.librarian |
hb2015 |
en_ZA |
dc.description.sponsorship |
The New Zealand Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST), the University of Waikato Vice Chancellor’s Fund, and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Waikato provided financial support to SCC. DAC acknowledges financial support from the South African NRF SANAP program and the UP Genomics Research Institute. The microscopy study was funded by the Spanish Education Ministry grant CTM2012-38222-C02-02. |
en_ZA |
dc.description.uri |
http://link.springer.comjournal/300 |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.citation |
De los Ríos, A, Cary, C & Cowan, DA 2014, 'The spatial structures of hypolithic communities in the Dry Valleys of East Antarctica', Polar Biology, vol. 37, no. 12, pp. 1823-1833. |
en_ZA |
dc.identifier.issn |
0722-4060 (print) |
|
dc.identifier.issn |
1432-2056 (online) |
|
dc.identifier.other |
10.1007/s00300-014-1564-0 |
|
dc.identifier.uri |
http://hdl.handle.net/2263/43458 |
|
dc.language.iso |
en |
en_ZA |
dc.publisher |
Springer |
en_ZA |
dc.rights |
© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014.The original publication is available at : http://link.springer.comjournal/300. |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Antarctica |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Biofilm |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Cyanobacteria |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Hypoliths |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Moss |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
McMurdo Dry Valleys, East Antarctica |
en_ZA |
dc.subject |
Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) |
en_ZA |
dc.title |
The spatial structures of hypolithic communities in the Dry Valleys of East Antarctica |
en_ZA |
dc.type |
Postprint Article |
en_ZA |