Exiguobacterium sp. as a bioinoculant for plant-growth promotion and Selenium biofortification strategies in horticultural plants.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) have a positive effect on plant development and being a promising way to enhance crop productivity and as substitution of chemical fertilizers. Selenium (Se) is an important trace element and its intake is usually lower than the daily minimum amount required for humans; hence, there is a demand on the design of Se biofortification strategies. Here, the genetic traits known to be associated with Plant-Growth Promotion (PGP) and Se biotransformation of Exiguobacterium sp. S17 were evaluated through genome analysis. Its growth-promoting capacity was tested through plant-growth promotion assays in laboratory and field conditions, using Brassica juncea (indian mustard), Beta vulgaris (chard), and Lactuca sativa (lettuce). Additionally, the Se biotransformation ability of Exiguobacterium sp. S17 was evaluated and the obtained selenized bacteria were tested in mustard plants. The sequenced bacteria genome revealed the presence of multiple genes involved in important functions regarding soil and plant colonization, PGP and Se biotransformation. Moreover, it was demonstrated that Exiguobacterium sp. S17 enhanced plant growth and could be useful to produce Se accumulation and biofortification in accumulator plants such as mustard. Thereby, Exiguobacterium sp. S17 might be used for developing new, sustainable, and environmentally friendly agro-technological strategies.

Lithifying and Non-Lithifying Microbial Ecosystems in the Wetlands and Salt Flats of the Central Andes.

The wetlands and salt flats of the Central Andes region are unique extreme environments as they are located in high-altitude saline deserts, largely influenced by volcanic activity. Environmental factors, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, arsenic content, high salinity, low dissolved oxygen content, extreme daily temperature fluctuation, and oligotrophic conditions, resemble the early Earth and potentially extraterrestrial conditions. The discovery of modern microbialites and microbial mats in the Central Andes during the past decade has increased the interest in this area as an early Earth analog. In this work, we review the current state of knowledge of Central Andes region environments found within lakes, small ponds or puquios, and salt flats of Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia, many of them harboring a diverse range of microbial communities that we have termed Andean Microbial Ecosystems (AMEs). We have integrated the data recovered from all the known AMEs and compared their biogeochemistry and microbial diversity to achieve a better understanding of them and, consequently, facilitate their protection.

Characterization of Rhodococcus sp. A5wh isolated from a high altitude Andean lake to unravel the survival strategy under lithium stress.

Lithium (Li) is widely distributed in nature and has several industrial applications. The largest reserves of Li (over 85%) are in the so-called "triangle of lithium" that includes the Salar de Atacama in Chile, Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia and Salar del Hombre Muerto in Argentina. Recently, the use of microorganisms in metal recovery such as copper has increased; however, there is little information about the recovery of lithium. The strain Rhodococcus sp. A5wh used in this work was previously isolated from Laguna Azul. The assays revealed that this strain was able to accumulate Li (39.52% of Li/g microbial cells in 180min) and that it was able to grow in its presence up to 1M. In order to understand the mechanisms implicated in Li tolerance, a proteomic approach was conducted. Comparative proteomic analyses of strain A5wh exposed and unexposed to Li reveal that 17 spots were differentially expressed. The identification of proteins was performed by MALDI-TOF/MS, and the obtained results showed that proteins involved in stress response, transcription, translations, and metabolism were expressed under Li stress. This knowledge constitutes the first proteomic approach to elucidate the strategy followed by Rhodococcus to adapt to Li.

Genomic and phenotypic attributes of novel salinivibrios from stromatolites, sediment and water from a high altitude lake.

BACKGROUND: Salinivibrios are moderately halophilic bacteria found in salted meats, brines and hypersaline environments. We obtained three novel conspecific Salinivibrio strains closely related to S. costicola, from Socompa Lake, a high altitude hypersaline Andean lake (approx. 3,570 meters above the sea level). RESULTS: The three novel Salinivibrio spp. were extremely resistant to arsenic (up to 200 mM HAsO42-), NaCl (up to 15%), and UV-B radiation (19 KJ/m2, corresponding to 240 minutes of exposure) by means of phenotypic tests. Our subsequent draft genome ionsequencing and RAST-based genome annotation revealed the presence of genes related to arsenic, NaCl, and UV radiation resistance. The three novel Salinivibrio genomes also had the xanthorhodopsin gene cluster phylogenetically related to Marinobacter and Spiribacter. The genomic taxonomy analysis, including multilocus sequence analysis, average amino acid identity, and genome-to-genome distance revealed that the three novel strains belong to a new Salinivibrio species. CONCLUSIONS: Arsenic resistance genes, genes involved in DNA repair, resistance to extreme environmental conditions and the possible light-based energy production, may represent important attributes of the novel salinivibrios, allowing these microbes to thrive in the Socompa Lake.

Triacylglycerol accumulation and oxidative stress in Rhodococcus species: differential effects of pro-oxidants on lipid metabolism.

In general, members of Rhodococcus genus are highly resistant to desiccation. Desiccation is a complex process which includes the formation of reactive oxygen species that results in significant damage to cells. In this study, we demonstrate that extremophile actinobacterial strains isolated from diverse environments, mainly belonging to Rhodococcus genus, exhibited high tolerance to the pro-oxidants hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and methyl viologen (MV). In addition, we investigated the possible interconnections between the responses of the oleaginous Rhodococcus opacus PD630 to oxidative stress and lipid metabolism, since both processes demand a metabolic reorganization of cells. Experiments with metabolic inhibitors showed differential effects of both pro-oxidants on lipid metabolism in PD630 cells. The inhibition of carotenoid biosynthesis by the addition of diphenylamine to the media negatively affected the tolerance of cells to H2O2, but not to MV. The inhibition of triacylglycerol (TAG) biosynthesis and accumulation in PD630 did not affect the tolerance of cells to H2O2 and MV; whereas, the blockage of lipolysis decreased the tolerance of cells to H2O2 (but not MV) under carbon-starvation conditions. Interestingly, the addition of MV to the media (but not H2O2) induced a reduction of TAG accumulation by cells. Resuming, results of this study revealed metabolic connections between lipid metabolism and oxidative stress responses in R. opacus PD630, and probably in other extremophile TAG-accumulating rhodococci.

Diurnal variation in bacterioplankton composition and DNA damage in the microbial community from an Andean oligotrophic lake.

Laguna Azul is an oligotrophic lake situated at 4,560 m above sea level and subject to a high level of solar radiation. Bacterioplankton community composition (BCC) was analysed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and the impact of solar ultraviolet radiation was assessed by measuring cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD). Furthermore, pure cultures of Acinetobacter johnsonii A2 and Rhodococcus sp. A5 were exposed simultaneously and CPD accumulation was studied. Gel analyses generated a total of 7 sequences belonging to Alpha-proteobacteria (1 band), Beta-proteobacteria (1 band), Bacteroidetes (2 bands), Actinobacteria (1 band), and Firmicutes (1 band). DGGE profiles showed minimal changes in BCC and no CPD was detected even though a high level of damage was found in biodosimeters. A. johnsonii A2 showed low level of DNA damage while Rhodococcus sp. A5 exhibited high resistance since no CPD were detected under natural UV-B exposure, suggesting that the bacterial community is well adapted to this highly solar irradiated environment.

Lipid storage in high-altitude Andean Lakes extremophiles and its mobilization under stress conditions in Rhodococcus sp. A5, a UV-resistant actinobacterium.

The production of triacylglycerols (TAG) or wax esters (WS) seems to be a widespread feature among extremophile bacteria living in high-altitude Andean Lakes (HAAL), Argentina. Twelve out of twenty bacterial strains isolated from HAAL were able to produce TAG or WS (between 2 and 17 % of cellular dry weight) under nitrogen-limiting culture conditions. Among these strains, the extremophile Rhodococcus sp. A5 accumulated significant amounts of TAG during growth on glucose (17 %, CDW) and hexadecane (32 %, CDW) as sole carbon sources. The role of accumulated TAG in the response to carbon starvation, osmotic stress, UV-radiation and desiccation was investigated in Rhodococcus sp. A5 using an inhibitor of TAG degradation. Cells degraded TAG during these stresses in the absence of the inhibitor. The inhibition of TAG mobilization affected cell survival during osmotic stress only during the initial growth stage. Little or no surviving cells were observed after carbon starvation, UV-treatment and desiccation, when TAG mobilization was inhibited. These results suggested that TAG metabolism is relevant for the adaptation and survival of A5 cells under carbon starvation, osmotic stress and UV irradiation, and essential under desiccation conditions, which prevail in HAAL environments.

The living forms of Microcoleus vaginatus and their contributions to the aggregate structure of biocrusts.

Microcoleus vaginatus has been regarded as the important contributor for biocrust formation and ecological services. However, little is known about its living forms in biocrusts, and whether the living form is related to biocrust structure. Therefore, in this study, natural biocrusts collected from the Gurbantunggut Desert were divided into different aggregate/grain fractions, aiming at investigating the living forms of M. vaginatus in biocrusts at fine scale, and exploring its roles in aggregate structure and ecological functions of biocrusts. The results showed that two distinct living forms of M. vaginatus had been identified from the biocrusts. The non-bundling M. vaginatus was mainly distributed in the fractions of > 0.5 mm, forming aggregate structure by cementing sand particles firmly; while the bundling M. vaginatus, distributed mainly among the free sand particles with diameter < 0.5 mm, and easily migrated up to biocrust surface after hydration. Furthermore, the aggregate structure formed by non-bundling M. vaginatus supported a higher biomass, nutrient contents, and enzyme activities. Altogether, our results suggest that the strong migrating ability of bundling M. vaginatus contributes to the environmental adaptation and light resource acquirement, while non-bundling M. vaginatus acts as the constructor of the aggregate structure in biocrusts.

Disentangling microstructure and environmental conditions in high-altitude Andean microbialite systems (Catamarca, Argentine Puna).

The study of microbialites development is a key tool to understand environmental pathways during deposition. We provide a detailed analysis of modern Central Andean microbialites from high-altitude lakes. The stratigraphic record of Turquesa Lake shows a significant short-term recolonization by microbialite-producing microorganisms during environmental stress. Far from a crisis paradigm, the coasts and paleocoasts of Turquesa lake exhibit three microbialitic buildups formed along different stages, providing a good study case of biological resilience of these systems in harsh environments. The MI and MII microbialite buildups occupied two paleocoasts. Both are composed of oncoids with micritic to microsparitic textures. Morphological, textural and mineralogical similarities between the two buildups suggest that they were formed at different times, but under very similar environmental conditions. The microorganisms that produced the microbialitic buildup MIII are currently colonizing the coast of this lake. The previous oncoid morphology change to a parallel micritic-spartic lamination. This remarkable changes in the microstructure can be explained by an important environmental change caused by the isolation of the Peinado Lake, and a subsequently microorganism adaptation. This microbialite structures can be proposed as an interesting modern analogue for environmental changes along the geological record.

Ecological variability based on lipid biomarkers in astrobiologically interesting wetlands from the Argentinian central Andes.

Andean wetlands hold extremophilic communities adapted to live in harsh conditions. Here, we investigated the microbial ecology of three high-altitude hypersaline ponds from La Puna region (Argentina) showing an increasing extent of desiccation by analyzing their lipid sedimentary record. We recreated the microbial community structure and the carbon metabolisms in each lacustrine system based on the molecular distribution of lipid biomarkers and their compound-specific carbon and hydrogen isotopic signatures. We detected lipid compounds considered to be biomarkers of cyanobacteria, sulfate-reducing bacteria, purple sulfur bacteria, and archaea in the three Andean ponds, as well as diatoms in the intermediate salinity system. The relative abundance of purple sulfur and sulfate-reducing bacteria decreased with salinity, whereas cyanobacteria and archaea decreased their relative abundance in the mid-saline pond to increase it again and became both prevailing at the highest salinity. Carbon fixation in the three ponds was driven by a combination of the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle, the reductive pentose phosphate cycle, and the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway. This work is the first to describe molecular and isotopic lipid fingerprints in wetlands from the central Andean Puna, and serves as a basis for further biogeochemical studies in the area.

Proteomic Signatures of Microbial Adaptation to the Highest Ultraviolet-Irradiation on Earth: Lessons From a Soil Actinobacterium.

In the Central Andean region in South America, high-altitude ecosystems (3500-6000 masl) are distributed across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, in which poly-extremophilic microbes thrive under extreme environmental conditions. In particular, in the Puna region, total solar irradiation and UV incidence are the highest on Earth, thus, restraining the physiology of individual microorganisms and the composition of microbial communities. UV-resistance of microbial strains thriving in High-Altitude Andean Lakes was demonstrated and their mechanisms were partially characterized by genomic analysis, biochemical and physiological assays. Then, the existence of a network of physiological and molecular mechanisms triggered by ultraviolet light exposure was hypothesized and called "UV-resistome". It includes some or all of the following subsystems: (i) UV sensing and effective response regulators, (ii) UV-avoidance and shielding strategies, (iii) damage tolerance and oxidative stress response, (iv) energy management and metabolic resetting, and (v) DNA damage repair. Genes involved in the described UV-resistome were recently described in the genome of Nesterenkonia sp. Act20, an actinobacterium which showed survival to high UV-B doses as well as efficient photorepairing capability. The aim of this work was to use a proteomic approach together with photoproduct measurements to help dissecting the molecular events involved in the adaptive response of a model High-Altitude Andean Lakes (HAAL) extremophilic actinobacterium, Nesterenkonia sp. Act20, under artificial UV-B radiation. Our results demonstrate that UV-B exposure induced over-abundance of a well-defined set of proteins while recovery treatments restored the proteomic profiles present before the UV-challenge. The proteins involved in this complex molecular network were categorized within the UV-resistome subsystems: damage tolerance and oxidative stress response, energy management and metabolic resetting, and DNA damage repair.

Physical Disturbance Reduces Cyanobacterial Relative Abundance and Substrate Metabolism Potential of Biological Soil Crusts on a Gold Mine Tailing of Central China.

As the critical ecological engineers, biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are considered to play essential roles in improving substrate conditions during ecological rehabilitation processes. Physical disturbance, however, often leads to the degradation of biocrusts, and it remains unclear how the physical disturbance affects biocrust microorganisms and their related metabolism. In this study, the photosynthetic biomass (indicated by chlorophyll a), nutrients, enzyme activities, and bacterial communities of biocrusts were investigated in a gold mine tailing of Central China to evaluate the impact of physical disturbance on biocrusts during the rehabilitation process of gold mine tailings. The results show that physical disturbance significantly reduced the photosynthetic biomass, nutrient contents (organic carbon, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total phosphorus), and enzyme activities (ß-glucosidase, sucrase, nitrogenase, neutral phosphatase, and urease) of biocrusts in the mine tailings. Furthermore, 16S rDNA sequencing showed that physical disturbance strongly changed the composition, structure, and interactions of the bacterial community, leading to a shift from a cyanobacteria dominated community to a heterotrophic bacteria (proteobacteria, actinobacteria, and acidobacteria) dominated community and a more complex bacterial network (higher complexity, nodes, and edges). Altogether, our results show that the biocrusts dominated by cyanobacteria could also develop in the tailings of humid region, and the dominants (e.g., Microcoleus) were the same as those from dryland biocrusts; nevertheless, physical disturbance significantly reduced cyanobacterial relative abundance in biocrusts. Based on our findings, we propose the future work on cyanobacterial inoculation (e.g., Microcoleus), which is expected to promote substrate metabolism and accumulation, ultimately accelerating the development of biocrusts and the subsequent ecological restoration of tailings.

Montmorillonite facilitated Pb(II) biomineralization by Chlorella sorokiniana FK in soil.

In this study, Chlorella sorokiniana FK, isolated from lead-zinc tailings, was employed for Pb(II) biomineralization with or without montmorillonite (MMT) addition in soil. Batch experiment results showed that montmorillonite facilitated Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2 formation on the surface of Chlorella-MMT composite, thus increasing algal cells' tolerance to Pb(II) poisoning. Surprisingly, Pb(II) adsorbed and biomineralized by Chlorella-MMT composite was 2.69 times and 3.76 times as much as that by Chlorella alone, respectively. The montmorillonite facilitated Chlorella-induced Pb biomineralization by promoting both photosynthesis and urea hydrolysis, mainly due to more hydroxyl functional groups generated during its binding with Chlorella and its high pH buffering capacity. Moreover, the SEM-EDS analysis indicated that the biomineral particles shifted from algal cell surface to montmorillonite surface in the composite during long-term Pb-detoxification. In-situ soil Pb(II) remediation experiments with Chlorella-MMT composites further showed that Pb was immobilized as carbonate form in the short term and as residue fraction in the long term. This study made the first attempt to explore the facilitating effects of montmorillonite on metal-carbonate precipitation mediated by microalgae and to develop a green, sustainable, and effective strategy for immobilization of heavy metal in soil by combining clay minerals and microalgae.

Extremophilic bacteria restrict the growth of Macrophomina phaseolina by combined secretion of polyamines and lytic enzymes.

Extremophilic microorganisms were screened as biocontrol agents against two strains of Macrophomina phaseolina (Mp02 and 06). Stenotrophomonas sp. AG3 and Exiguobacterium sp. S58 exhibited a potential in vitro antifungal effect on Mp02 growth, corresponding to 52.2% and 40.7% inhibition, respectively. This effect was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, where images revealed marked morphological alterations in fungus hyphae. The bacteria were found to secrete lytic enzymes and polyamines. Exiguobacterium sp. S56a was the only strain able to reduce the growth of the two strains of M. phaseolina through their supernatant. Antifungal supernatant activity was correlated with the ability of bacteria to synthesize and excrete putrescine, and the exogenous application of this polyamine to the medium phenocopied the bacterial antifungal effects. We propose that the combined secretion of putrescine, spermidine, and lytic enzymes by extremophilic microorganism predispose these microorganisms to reduce the disease severity occasioned by M. phaseolina in soybean seedlings.

Geobiology of Andean Microbial Ecosystems Discovered in Salar de Atacama, Chile.

The Salar de Atacama in the Chilean Central Andes harbors unique microbial ecosystems due to extreme environmental conditions, such as high altitude, low oxygen pressure, high solar radiation, and high salinity. Combining X-ray diffraction analyses, scanning electron microscopy and molecular diversity studies, we have characterized twenty previously unexplored Andean microbial ecosystems in eight different lakes and wetlands from the middle-east and south-east regions of this salt flat. The mats and microbialites studied are mainly formed by calcium carbonate (aragonite and calcite) and halite, whereas the endoevaporites are composed predominantly of gypsum and halite. The carbonate-rich mats and microbialites are dominated by Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria phyla. Within the phylum Proteobacteria, the most abundant classes are Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria. While in the phylum Bacteroidetes, the most abundant classes are Bacteroidia and Rhodothermia. Cyanobacteria, Chloroflexi, Planctomycetes, and Verrucomicrobia phyla are also well-represented in the majority of these systems. Gypsum endoevaporites, on the contrary, are dominated by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Euryarchaeota phyla. The Cyanobacteria phylum is also abundant in these systems, but it is less represented in comparison to mats and microbialites. Regarding the eukaryotic taxa, diatoms are key structural components in most of the microbial ecosystems studied. The genera of diatoms identified were Achnanthes, Fallacia, Halamphora, Mastogloia, Navicula, Nitzschia, and Surirella. Normally, in the mats and microbialites, diatoms form nano-globular carbonate aggregates with filamentous cyanobacteria and other prokaryotic cells, suggesting their participation in the mineral precipitation process. This work expands our knowledge of the microbial ecosystems inhabiting the extreme environments from the Central Andes region, which is important to ensure their protection and conservation.

First report of linear megaplasmids in the genus Micrococcus.

High-altitude wetlands (above 4200m) in the northwest of Argentina are considered pristine and extreme environments. Micrococcus sp. A1, H5, and V7, isolated from such environments, were shown to contain linear megaplasmids, designated pLMA1, pLMH5, and pLMV7, respectively. As known from linear plasmids of other actinomycetes, all three plasmids were resistant to lambda exonuclease treatment, which is consistent with having terminal proteins covalently attached to their 5' DNA ends. Electrophoretic mobility, Southern analysis, and restriction endonuclease patterns revealed pLMA1 and pLMH5 being indistinguishable plasmids, even though they were found in different strains isolated from two distant wetlands - Laguna Azul and Laguna Huaca Huasi. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequences of Micrococcus sp. A1, H5, and V7 suggested a close relationship to Micrococcus luteus. Typing of isolates was performed using fingerprint patterns generated by BOX-PCR. Plasmid-deficient strains, generated from Micrococcus sp. A1, showed a significantly decreased resistance level for erythromycin.

Structural peculiarities of linear megaplasmid, pLMA1, from Micrococcus luteus interfere with pyrosequencing reads assembly.

Different strains of Micrococcus luteus, isolated from high-altitude Argentinean wetlands, were recently reported to harbour the linear plasmids pLMA1, pLMH5 and pLMV7, all of which with 5'-covalently attached terminal proteins. The link between pLMA1 and the host's erythromycin resistance as well as further presumptive qualities prompted us to perform a detailed characterization. When the 454 technology was applied for direct sequencing of gel-purified pLMA1, assembly of the reads was impossible. However, combined Sanger/454 sequencing of cloned pLMA1 fragments, covering altogether 23 kb of the 110-kb spanning plasmid, allowed numerous sequence repeats of varying in lengths to be identified thus rendering an explanation for the above 454 assembly failure. A large number of putative transposase genes were identified as well. Furthermore, a region with five putative iteron sequences is possibly involved in pLMA1 replication.

Extremophile culture collection from Andean lakes: extreme pristine environments that host a wide diversity of microorganisms with tolerance to UV radiation.

A total of 88 bacterial strains were isolated from six Andean lakes situated at altitudes ranging from 3,400 to 4,600 m above sea level: L. Aparejos (4,200 m), L. Negra (4,400 m), L. Verde (4,460 m), L. Azul (4,400 m), L. Vilama (4,600 m), and Salina Grande (3,400 m). Salinity ranged from 0.4 to 117 ppm. General diversity was determined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. From the excised DGGE bands, 182 bacterial sequences of good quality were obtained. Gammaproteobacteria and Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides (CFB) were the most abundant phylogenetic groups with 42% and 18% of identified bands, respectively. The isolated strains were identified by sequence analysis. Isolated bacteria were subjected to five different UV-B exposure times: 0.5, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h. Afterwards, growth of each isolate was monitored and resistance was classified according to the growth pattern. A wide interspecific variation among the 88 isolates was observed. Medium and highly resistant strains accounted for 43.2% and 28.4% of the isolates, respectively, and only 28.4% was sensitive. Resistance to solar radiation was equally distributed among the isolates from the different lakes regardless of the salinity of the lakes and pigmentation of isolates. Of the highly resistant isolates, 44.5% belonged to gammaproteobacteria, 33.3% to betaproteobacteria, 40% to alphaproteobacteria, 50% to CFB, and among gram-positive organisms, 33.3% were HGC and 44.5% were Firmicutes. Most resistant strains belonged to genera like Exiguobaceterium sp., Acinetobacter sp., Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., Pseudomonas sp., Sphyngomonas sp., Staphylococcus sp., and Stenotrophomonas sp. The current study provides further evidence that gammaproteobacteria are the most abundant and the most UV-B-resistant phylogenetic group in Andean lakes and that UV resistance in bacteria isolated from these environments do not depend on pigmentation and tolerance to salinity.

Isolation of UV-B resistant bacteria from two high altitude Andean lakes (4,400 m) with saline and non saline conditions.

Laguna (L.) Negra and L. Verde are high altitude Andean lakes located at the 4,400 m altitude in the Andean desert (Puna) in the Argentine northwest. Both lakes are exposed to extreme weather conditions but differ in salinity contents (salinity 6.7% for L. Negra and 0.27% for L. Verde). The aim of this work was to isolate ultraviolet B fraction (UV-B) resistant bacteria under UV-stress in order to determine, a possible connection, between resistance to UV-B and tolerance to salinity. DNA damage was determined by measuring CPDs accumulation. Connection among pigmentation production and UV resistance was also studied. Water samples were exposed to artificial UV-B radiation for 24 h. Water aliquots were plated along the exposition on different media, with different salinity and carbon source content (Lake medium (LM) done with the lake water plus agar and LB). CFU were counted and DNA damage accumulation was determined. Isolated bacteria were identified by 16S rDNA sequence. Their salinity tolerance, were measured at 1, 5 and 10% NaCl and their pigment production in both media was determined. In general it was found that UV resistance and pigment production were the optimum in Lake Medium done with lake water which maintained similar salinity. The most resistant bacteria in L. Negra were different strains of Exiguobacterium sp. and, in L. Verde, Staphylococcus sp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. These bacteria showed the production and increase of UV-Vis absorbing compounds under UV stress and in LM. Bacterial communities from both lakes were well adapted to high UV-B exposure under the experimental conditions, and in many cases UV-B even stimulated growth. The idea that resistance to UV-B could be related to adaptation to high salinity is still an open question that has to be answered with future experiments.

Characterization of Salinivibrio socompensis sp. nov., A New Halophilic Bacterium Isolated from the High-Altitude Hypersaline Lake Socompa, Argentina.

The genus Salinivibrio belongs to the family Vibrionaceae and includes Gram-stain-negative, motile by a polar flagellum, and facultatively anaerobic curved rods. They are halophilic bacteria commonly found in hypersaline aquatic habitats and salted foods. This genus includes five species and two subspecies. A presumed novel species, strain S35T, was previously isolated from the high-altitude volcanic, alkaline, and saline lake Socompa (Argentinean Andes). In this study we carried out a complete taxonomic characterization of strain S35T, including the 16S rRNA gene sequence and core-genome analysis, the average nucleotide identity (ANIb, ANIm, and orthoANI), and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (GGDC), as well as the phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characterization. It grew at 3%-20% (w/v) NaCl, pH 6-10, and 10-42 °C, with optimum growth at 7.0%-7.5% (w/v) NaCl, pH 8.0, and 37 °C, respectively. Strain S35T was oxidase- and catalase-positive, able to produce acid from D-glucose and other carbohydrates. Hydrolysis of DNA, methyl red test, and nitrate and nitrite reduction were positive. Its main fatty acids were C16:0, C16:1 ω7c and C16:1 ω6c, and C18:1 ω7c and/or C18:1 ω6c. ANI, GGDC, and core-genome analysis determined that strain S35T constitutes a novel species of the genus Salinivibrio, for which the name Salinivibrio socompensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is S35T (= CECT 9634T = BNM 0535T).