TY - JOUR
T1 - Trichocoleus desertorum isolated from Negev desert petroglyphs
T2 - Characterization, adaptation and bioerosion potential
AU - Irit, Nir
AU - Hana, Barak
AU - Laura, Rabbachin
AU - Arielle, Kahn
AU - Mariela, Pavan
AU - Esti, Kramarsky Winter
AU - Guadalupe, Piñar
AU - Katja, Sterflinger
AU - Ariel, Kushmaro
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Austrian Science Fund1 (FWF – Der Wissenschaftsfonds) project I 4748-B and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Israel, project 3-17370 , Stone cultural heritage in Austria and Israel.
Funding Information:
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, Der Wissenschaftsfonds), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Israel, and the Avram and Stella Goldstein-Goren Fund, Ben Gurion University ( BGU ), for funding the project. We also thank the Israel Antiquity Authorities and the Israel Nature and Parks Authorities for permission to collect samples. In addition, we thank the professional staff at the Ilse Katz Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, for SEM and Airyscan CLSM analyses.
Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Austrian Science Fund1 (FWF – Der Wissenschaftsfonds) project I 4748-B and Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Israel, project 3-17370, Stone cultural heritage in Austria and Israel.The authors gratefully acknowledge the Austrian Science Fund (FWF, Der Wissenschaftsfonds), the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Israel, for funding the project. We also thank the Israel Antiquity Authorities and the Israel Nature and Parks Authorities for permission to collect samples. In addition, we thank the professional staff at the Ilse Katz Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, for SEM and Airyscan CLSM analyses.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2023/12/15
Y1 - 2023/12/15
N2 - The Negev petroglyphs are considered valuable cultural heritage sites, but unfortunately, they are exposed to deterioration processes caused by anthropogenic and natural forces. Despite the many studies that have already pointed to the role of cyanobacteria in biogenic rock weathering, the knowledge involved in the process is still lacking. In this study, a cyanobacterial strain was isolated from the Negev Desert petroglyphs aiming to reveal its involvement in geochemical cycles and in the weathering processes of the rock substrate. The strain was characterized using morphological, molecular, and microscopic studies. The morphological research revealed a green-bluish, bundle-forming filamentous strain characterized by trichomes embedded in a common sheath. A combination of Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies facilitated the assembly of a near-complete genome containing 5,458,034 base pairs. A total of 5027 coding sequences were revealed by implementing PROKKA software. Annotation of five replicas of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes revealed that the Negev cyanobacteria isolate is closely (99.73 %) related to Trichocoleus desertorum LSB90_MW403957 isolated from the Sahara Desert, Algeria. The local strain was thus named Trichocoleus desertorum NBK24 CP116619. Several gene sequences that code for possible environmental adaptation mechanisms were found. Our study also identified genes for membrane transporters involved in the exchange of chemical elements, suggesting a possible interaction with rock minerals. Microscopic observations of T. desertorum NBK24 CP116619 infected onto calcareous stone slabs under laboratory conditions demonstrated the effect of the isolated cyanobacteria on stone surface degradation. In conclusion, the findings of this study further our understanding of terrestrial cyanobacterial genomes and functions and highlight the role of T. desertorum NBK24 CP116619 in stone weathering processes. This information may contribute to the creation of efficient restoration strategies for stone monuments affected by cyanobacteria.
AB - The Negev petroglyphs are considered valuable cultural heritage sites, but unfortunately, they are exposed to deterioration processes caused by anthropogenic and natural forces. Despite the many studies that have already pointed to the role of cyanobacteria in biogenic rock weathering, the knowledge involved in the process is still lacking. In this study, a cyanobacterial strain was isolated from the Negev Desert petroglyphs aiming to reveal its involvement in geochemical cycles and in the weathering processes of the rock substrate. The strain was characterized using morphological, molecular, and microscopic studies. The morphological research revealed a green-bluish, bundle-forming filamentous strain characterized by trichomes embedded in a common sheath. A combination of Nanopore and Illumina sequencing technologies facilitated the assembly of a near-complete genome containing 5,458,034 base pairs. A total of 5027 coding sequences were revealed by implementing PROKKA software. Annotation of five replicas of the 16S ribosomal RNA genes revealed that the Negev cyanobacteria isolate is closely (99.73 %) related to Trichocoleus desertorum LSB90_MW403957 isolated from the Sahara Desert, Algeria. The local strain was thus named Trichocoleus desertorum NBK24 CP116619. Several gene sequences that code for possible environmental adaptation mechanisms were found. Our study also identified genes for membrane transporters involved in the exchange of chemical elements, suggesting a possible interaction with rock minerals. Microscopic observations of T. desertorum NBK24 CP116619 infected onto calcareous stone slabs under laboratory conditions demonstrated the effect of the isolated cyanobacteria on stone surface degradation. In conclusion, the findings of this study further our understanding of terrestrial cyanobacterial genomes and functions and highlight the role of T. desertorum NBK24 CP116619 in stone weathering processes. This information may contribute to the creation of efficient restoration strategies for stone monuments affected by cyanobacteria.
KW - Cyanobacteria
KW - Lithobionts
KW - Metagenomics
KW - Weathering
KW - Whole genome sequencing
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85170261441&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166739
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166739
M3 - Article
C2 - 37673239
AN - SCOPUS:85170261441
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 904
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 166739
ER -
