Abstract
ABSTRACTWidespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is providing the impetus to explore novel sources of antimicrobial agents. Recently, the potent antibacterial activity of certain clay minerals has stimulated scientific interest in these materials. One such example is Kisameet glacial clay (KC), an antibacterial clay from a deposit on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. However, our understanding of the active principles of these complex natural substances is incomplete. Like soils, clays may possess complex mixtures of bacterial taxa, including the Actinobacteria, a clade known to be rich in antibiotic-producing organisms. Here, we present the first characterization of both the microbial and geochemical characteristics of a glacial clay deposit. KC harbors surprising bacterial species richness, with at least three distinct community types. We show that the deposit has clines of inorganic elements that can be leached by pH, which may be drivers of community structure. We also note the prevalence of Gallionellaceae in samples recovered near the surface, as well as taxa that include medically or economically important bacteria such as Actinomycetes and Paenibacillus. These results provide insight into the microbial taxa that may be the source of KC antibacterial activity and suggest that natural clays may be rich sources of microbial and molecular diversity.
Highlights
Widespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is providing the impetus to explore novel sources of antimicrobial agents
Kisameet glacial clay is found in a dry-land deposit on the Central Coast of British Columbia in Canada, 450 km northwest of Vancouver (51°58=20Љ N/127°52=50Љ W) [23, 24] (Fig. 1A, map in the top right corner)
The Kisameet glacial clay (KC) deposit remains mostly untouched, but it was drilled in 1946, and samples were submitted to the British Columbia Mines Branch
Summary
Widespread antibiotic resistance among bacterial pathogens is providing the impetus to explore novel sources of antimicrobial agents. We note the prevalence of Gallionellaceae in samples recovered near the surface, as well as taxa that include medically or economically important bacteria such as Actinomycetes and Paenibacillus These results provide insight into the microbial taxa that may be the source of KC antibacterial activity and suggest that natural clays may be rich sources of microbial and molecular diversity. Cultivation-independent molecular surveys have revealed the extent of this diversity and have identified some factors that may influence microbial community structures This knowledge is revolutionizing our understanding of the contribution of the microbiome to human health and disease [2, 3]. The use of poultices of French green clay for treatment of Mycobacterium ulcerans skin infections in Africa by the humanitarian Line Brunet de Courssou has renewed interest in the antibacterial potential of clays [9, 10]
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