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Rapid Colonization of Uranium Mining-Impacted Waters, the Biodiversity of Successful Lineages of Phytoplankton Extremophiles

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Anthropogenic extreme environments are emphasized as interesting sites for the study of evolutionary pathways, biodiversity, and extremophile bioprospection. Organisms that grow under these conditions are usually regarded as extremophiles; however, the extreme novelty of these environments may have favor adaptive radiations of facultative extremophiles. At the Iberian Peninsula, uranium mining operations have rendered highly polluted extreme environments in multiple locations. In this study, we examined the phytoplankton diversity, community structure, and possible determining factors in separate uranium mining-impacted waters. Some of these human-induced extreme environments may be able to sustain indigenous facultative extremophile phytoplankton species, as well as alleged obligate extremophiles. Therefore, we investigated the adaptation capacity of three laboratory strains, two Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and a Dictyosphaerium chlorelloides, to uranium-polluted waters. The biodiversity among the sampled waters was very low, and despite presenting unique taxonomic records, ecological patterns can be identified. The microalgae adaptation experiments indicated a gradient of ecological novelty and different phenomena of adaptation, from acclimation in some waters to non-adaptation in the harshest anthropogenic environment. Certainly, phytoplankton extremophiles might have been often overlooked, and the ability to flourish in extreme environments might be a functional feature in some neutrophilic species. Evolutionary biology and microbial biodiversity can benefit the study of recently evolved systems such as uranium-polluted waters. Moreover, anthropogenic extremophiles can be harnessed for industrial applications.

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Abbreviations

UMIWs:

uranium mining impacted water bodies

gen.:

generations

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Acknowledgments

ENUSA was instrumental in facilitating sampling. Pedro Caravantes, Antonio García-Sanchez, and José Mariano Igual provided invaluable assistance with sampling and chemical analyses. Thanks are given to Lara de Miguel Fernandez for her excellent technical support.

Funding

This study is supported by the Spanish Secretaría de Estado, Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, grant CTM-2013-44366-R.

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Author notes

  1. Beatriz Baselga-Cervera

    Present address: Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Department, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Animal Science (Genetics), School of Veterinary Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Beatriz Baselga-Cervera, Camino García-Balboa, Héctor M. Díaz-Alejo, Eduardo Costas & Victoria López-Rodas

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  1. Beatriz Baselga-Cervera
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Contributions

BB-C, CG-B, EC, and VL-R conceived and planned the experiments. BB-C and CG-B interpreted the results and worked in the manuscript, with a special interest in the conceptual model. BB-C and CG-B carried out sampling and experimentation. HMD aided in the interpretation of the results. HMD and EC performed the statistical analyses. BB-C wrote the manuscript with inputs from all authors. CG-G, EC, and VL-R supervised the project.

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Correspondence to Camino García-Balboa.

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Baselga-Cervera, B., García-Balboa, C., Díaz-Alejo, H.M. et al. Rapid Colonization of Uranium Mining-Impacted Waters, the Biodiversity of Successful Lineages of Phytoplankton Extremophiles. Microb Ecol 79, 576–587 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01431-6

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