Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-995ml Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-19T09:48:58.923Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Biofilms fouling ancient limestone Mayan monuments in Uxmal, Mexico: a cultivation-independent analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2004

B. O. Ortega-Morales
Affiliation:
Departamento de Microbiología Ambiental y Biotecnología, Programa de Corrosión del Golfo de México, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av. Agustín Melgar, Col. Lindavista, C.P. 24030 Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
J. A. Narváez-Zapata
Affiliation:
Departamento de Microbiología Ambiental y Biotecnología, Programa de Corrosión del Golfo de México, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av. Agustín Melgar, Col. Lindavista, C.P. 24030 Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
A. Schmalenberger
Affiliation:
Institut für Agrarökologie, Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft (FAL), 38116 Braunschweig, Germany
A. Sosa-López
Affiliation:
Centro EPOMEX, Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Av. Agustín Melgar, Col. Lindavista, C.P. 24030 Campeche, Campeche, Mexico
C. C. Tebbe
Affiliation:
Institut für Agrarökologie, Bundesforschungsanstalt für Landwirtschaft (FAL), 38116 Braunschweig, Germany

Abstract

Biofilms colonizing ancient limestone Mayan monuments in Uxmal (Yucatán, Mexico) were characterized for their microbial composition and differences using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-amplified genes of the rRNA small subunit. Biofilms 1–7, displaying different macroscopic characteristics, were drawn from interior and exterior limestone walls, which were characterized by different microenvironmental conditions. Inner surfaces that were exposed to low light intensity and higher water availability supported a higher biofilm biomass, probably indicating that these environmental conditions are more suitable for biofilm growth and development. Sequencing of SSCP profiles from the biofilms showed that bacteria affiliated with the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Cyanobacteria colonized both internal and external surfaces, although certain Nevskia and Salinibacter were particularly associated with internal biofilms. In contrast, a particular biofilm community composed almost exclusively of Rubrobacter-related bacteria was found in only one exterior partially shaded sample (biofilm 3), characterized by high illumination and low water content. No specific organisms were detected in biofilm 7. The PLFA profiles suggested that cyanobacteria were the biomass-dominant group in most biofilms, except for biofilm 3 (exterior) where actinobacterial markers were detected in significant proportions. Interestingly, most of the detected sequences were related to halophylic bacteria, although the similarity of these clones to known sequences in databases was low (< 94%). This finding suggests that much bacterial novelty, probably of halophylic nature, remains to be identified in these biofilms. Our study suggests that water availability and light regime appear to be the main environmental determinants defining boundaries for biofilm formation, while substratum salinity appears to be an important abiotic factor that influences biofilm community structure in these specialized microbial habitats.

Type
Research Articles
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)