Solid and Aqueous Geochemical Controls on Phylogenetic Diversity and Abundance of Microbial Biofilms

Abstract:

In the subsurface, the vast majority of microorganisms are found in biofilms attached to mineral surfaces. The fickle nature of these environments (chemically and physically) likely causes dynamic ecological shifts in these microbial communities. We used laboratory biofilm reactors (inoculated with a diverse subsurface community) to explore the role of mineralogy as part of a microbe-mineral-water ecosystem under variable pressures (mineralogy, pH, carbon, phosphate). Following multivariate analyses, pH was identified as the key physicochemical property associated with variation in both phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity as well as overall community structure (P<0.05). In particular, the ability of minerals, media, or a combination of the two to buffer metabolically generated acidity impacted community structure under oligotrophic and eutrophic conditions. Additionally, we found that media phosphate limitations were significantly correlated to greater biofilm accumulation (P<0.002), but lower species richness (P<0.001) and Shannon diversity (P<0.001); while mineral-bound phosphate limitations were significantly correlated to lesser biofilm accumulation (P<0.05) but not to species richness or diversity. Carbon (as acetate, lactate, or formate) added to the media was correlated with a significant increase in biofilm accumulation (P<0.04), and overall Shannon diversity (P<0.006), but not significantly correlated with overall species richness.

Although variable in magnitude, the effect of surface chemistry on microbial diversity (both phylogenetic and taxonomic) was statistically significant, in all reactors, regardless of environmental pressures. Phylogenetically, surface type (carbonate, silicate, or Al-silicate) controlled ~70-90%, meaning that organisms attached to similar surfaces were significantly more genetically similar. Taxonomy and proportional abundance was significantly sensitive to variations in media chemistry with consistent patterns emerging among specific clades (sulfur-oxidizers, sulfur-reducers, Gram-positives, Acidophiles). Furthermore, planktonic communities were phylogenetically distant from those in biofilms. All reactors harbored structurally, taxonomically, and phylogenetically distinct microbial communities.