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Diversity of Eukaryotic Microorganisms in the Drainage Waters of a Coal Open-Cast Mine

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Abstract—

The composition of the microbiome of acid drainage water of a quarry used for the mining of brown coal was studied. The water had a pH of 5.15 and contained 1.4 g/L of sulfate. Unlike acid mine drainage associated with mining of sulfide ores, the content of iron and heavy metals was low. Molecular analysis of the microbial community was performed by high-throughput sequencing of the 18S and 16S rRNA gene fragments. Most eukaryotic sequences belonged to the fungal phylum Basidiomycota; members of the Chytridiomycota were also found. Basidiomycetes of the family Sporidiobolaceae were the predominant group, as was previously reported for acid mine drainage waters. Among the minor groups, protozoa (Alveolata and Amoebozoa) and green algae (Chlamydomonas) were found. The dominant group of prokaryotes was the genus Acidiphilium (Alphaproteobacteria); betaproteobacteria of the genera Sulfuriferula and Thiomonas were also found.

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Funding

The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, projects nos. 18-34-00356 (molecular analysis of the microbial community) and 19-04-00981 (physicochemical analysis of the water).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119071, Moscow, Russia

    E. V. Gruzdev, A. V. Beletsky, V. V. Kadnikov, A. V. Mardanov & N. V. Ravin

  2. Department of Plant Physiology and Biotechnology, Tomsk State University, 634050, Tomsk, Russia

    M. V. Ivanov & O. V. Karnachuk

Authors
  1. E. V. Gruzdev
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  2. A. V. Beletsky
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  3. V. V. Kadnikov
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  4. A. V. Mardanov
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  5. M. V. Ivanov
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  6. O. V. Karnachuk
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  7. N. V. Ravin
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Contributions

EVG and AVB carried out analysis of the 18S rRNA gene sequences and manuscript preparation. VVK and AVM carried out sampling, isolation of metagenomic DNA, and sequencing. MVI carried out physicochemical analysis of the samples. OVK carried out sampling and data analysis. NVR carried out data analysis and manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to E. V. Gruzdev.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest. This article does not contain any studies involving animals or human participants performed by any of the authors.

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Translated by P. Sigalevich

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Gruzdev, E.V., Beletsky, A.V., Kadnikov, V.V. et al. Diversity of Eukaryotic Microorganisms in the Drainage Waters of a Coal Open-Cast Mine. Microbiology 89, 641–646 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261720050100

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0026261720050100

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