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CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNGI FROM HYPERSALINE ENVIRONMENTS OF SOLAR SALTERNS USING MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES
Citation:
CANTRELL, S. A., L. CASILLAS-MARTINEZ, AND M. MOLINA. CHARACTERIZATION OF FUNGI FROM HYPERSALINE ENVIRONMENTS OF SOLAR SALTERNS USING MORPHOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR TECHNIQUES. Mycological Research. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Uk, 110(8):962-970, (2006).
Impact/Purpose:
The objective of the proposed study is to evaluate and apply fast and reproducible DNA-based technology that can detect and track fecal contamination back to its source in complex environmental matrices, including recreational and drinking water resources.
Description:
The Cabo Rojo Solar Salterns located on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico are composed of two main ecosystems (i.e., salt ponds and microbial mats). Even though these locations are characterized by high solar radiation (mean light intensity of 39 mol photons m-2d-1) they harbor a diverse microscopic life. We have used morphological and molecular techniques to identify a series of halotolerant fungi. A total of 183 isolates and 36 species were cultured in this study. From the water from the salt ponds, 86 isolates divided in 26 species were cultured. Some of the halotolerant fungi isolated from water are Cladosporium cladosporioides, nine Aspergillus sp., five Penicillium sp. and the black yeast Hortaea werneckii. A distinctive isolate with a blue mycelium was cultured from the salt ponds, representing a new species of Periconia based on morphology and ribosomal DNA analysis. From sediments around the salt ponds we cultured 44 isolates divided in 8 species. Most of the sediment isolates were identified as Mycelia Sterilia, while several were Chaetomium globosum. A total of 53 isolates divided in 16 species were isolated from the three layers of the microbial mats. In the three layers of the microbial mat, Aspergillus niger was the most frequent isolate. PLFA profiles generated from the different layers of the microbial mats indicated that the uppermost layers of the mats contained fungal biomarker, 18:2w6. This fatty acid decreased with depth, the highest concentration was observed in the green upper layer and it disappeared in the black bottom anoxic layer. This correlates with the isolation of fungi using the serial dilution technique. This is the first study that documents the presence of fungi in microbial mats.