Abstract
Microbial mats are unique geobiological ecosystems that form as a result of complex communities of microorganisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. Both the microorganisms present and the network of metabolic interactions govern ecosystem function therein. These systems are often found in a range of extreme environments, and those found in elevated salinity have been particularly well studied. The purpose of this review is to briefly describe the molecular ecology of select model hypersaline mat systems (Guerrero Negro, Shark Bay, S’Avall, and Kiritimati Atoll), and any potentially modulating effects caused by salinity to community structure. In addition, we discuss several emerging issues in the field (linking function to newly discovered phyla and microbial dark matter), which illustrate the changing paradigm that is seen as technology has rapidly advanced in the study of these extreme and evolutionally significant ecosystems.
Highlights
Microbial mats are a unique ecological niche representative of early life on Earth
Pioneering studies focused on the morphology of microbial mats [9,10], or an examination of the abiotic environment including oxygen, sulfide, and light gradients, e.g., [11,12]. This initial research included a closer analysis of phylogeny targeted at the isolation of cultivatable, key players which are known to operate within multilayered consortia, namely cyanobacteria, sulphate-reducing bacteria and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria [13,14,15,16]
We have focused on four well-studied environments: Guerrero Negro, Shark Bay, S’Avall, and Kirrimati Atoll
Summary
Microbial mats are a unique ecological niche representative of early life on Earth. This is due, in part, to the persistence of fossilised mat counterparts, stromatolites, which date back over 3 billion years [1]. Pioneering studies focused on the morphology of microbial mats [9,10], or an examination of the abiotic environment including oxygen, sulfide, and light gradients, e.g., [11,12] This initial research included a closer analysis of phylogeny targeted at the isolation of cultivatable, key players which are known to operate within multilayered consortia, namely cyanobacteria, sulphate-reducing bacteria and anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria [13,14,15,16]. With the advent of high throughput sequencing technology, and the “omics revolution”, knowledge of microbial mats has leapt into the molecular and genomic era, revealing niche differentiation events as well as novel microbes and metabolic pathways [18,19] It suggests our understanding of these hypersaline ecosystems is continually evolving, as the methods to study them advance. This review is designed to briefly summarize current approaches (with an emphasis on molecular techniques) and discoveries in relation to the untapped potential of hypersaline microbial mats from several well-known settings, and proposes future study directions using a combination of different contemporary techniques that can apply to a broad range of “extreme” environments
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