Abstract

DIAZ-CARDENAS, Carolina  and  BAENA, Sandra. Saline springs: Inventories of metabolic and phylogenetic diversity of microorganisms from saline environments. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. [online]. 2015, vol.39, n.152, pp.358-373. ISSN 0370-3908.  https://doi.org/10.18257/raccefyn.199.

Terrestrial saline springs are habitats of a high diversity of microbial species, but knowledge of this diversity is scarce in our country. We have chosen to study three saline springs as part of our research program on the ecology and diversity of halophilic and thermophilic microorganisms. The saline springs are located on the Andes mountain range, their content of total dissolved solids is 20-54 g/L, they flow from ancient groundwater, and their water regime is not directly related to recent rainfall recharges. They exhibited different physicochemical compositions: the water samples from the Salado de Consotá and La Cristalina springs showed a high content of chlorine, sodium and calcium, while those from the Salpa spring were characterized by high concentrations of sodium, potassium and sulfate. The composition of microbial communities was analyzed using different approaches to generate biodiversity inventories. The results indicated that these springs harbor a microbial community made up mostly of Gram-negative, motile, litotrophic, heterotrophic, halotolerant and halophilic microorganisms, some of which have been previously reported in marine environments. Most isolated microorganisms belonged to the Gamma and Alphaproteobacteria classes, but differences in the microbial composition of each spring were evident. Our study revealed that these springs are a source of new taxonomic diversity as shown by the newly characterized bacterial species.

Keywords : Saline springs; microbial diversity; halophilic bacteria; halotolerant bacteria.

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