Examinando por Autor "Escudero, C."

Mostrando 1 - 8 de 8

Acceso Abierto
Biological production of H2, CH4 and CO2 in the deep subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt
(Society for Applied Microbiology, 2021-05-10) Sanz, J. L.; Rodríguez, Nuria; Escudero, C.; Carrizo, D.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Sanz, J. L. [0000-0003-3226-3967]; Rodríguez, N. [0000-0003-4109-4851]; Escudero, C. [0000-0003-1240-4144]; Carrizo, D. [0000-0003-1568-4591]; Amils, R. [0000-0002-7560-1033]
Most of the terrestrial deep subsurfaces are oligotrophic environments in which some gases, mainly H2, CH4 and CO2, play an important role as energy and/or carbon sources. In this work, we assessed their biotic and abiotic origin in samples from subsurface hard-rock cores of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) at three different depths (414, 497 and 520 m). One set of samples was sterilized (abiotic control) and all samples were incubated under anaerobic conditions. Our results showed that H2, CH4 and CO2 remained low and constant in the sterilized controls while their levels were 4, 4.1 and 2.5 times higher respectively, in the unsterilized samples compared to the abiotic controls. The δ13CCH4-values measured in the samples (range −31.2 to −43.0 ‰) reveals carbon isotopic signatures that are within the range for biological methane production. Possible microorganisms responsible for the biotic production of the gases were assessed by CARD-FISH. The analysis of sequenced genomes of detected microorganisms within the subsurface of the IPB allowed to identify possible metabolic activities involved in H2 (Rhodoplanes, Shewanella and Desulfosporosinus), CH4 (Methanobacteriales) and CO2 production. The obtained results suggest that part of the H2, CH4 and CO2 detected in the deep subsurface has a biological origin.
Acceso Abierto
Dark microbiome and extremely low organics in Atacama fossil delta unveil Mars life detection limits
(Nature Publishing Group, 2023-02-21) Azua Bustos, A.; Fairén, A.; González Silva, C.; Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Carrizo, D.; Sánchez García, Laura; Parro, Víctor; Fernández Martínez, Miguel Ángel; Escudero, C.; Muñoz Iglesias, V.; Fernández Sampedro, M.; Molina, A.; García Villadangos, M.; Moreno Paz, Mercedes; Wierzchos, J.; Ascaso, C.; Fornado, Teresa; Brucato, J. R.; Poggiali, G.; Manrique, J. A.; Veneranda, M.; López Reyes, G.; Sanz Arranz, Aurelio; Rull, F.; Ollila, A. M.; Wiens, R. C.; Reyes Newell, Adriana; Clegg, S. M.; Millan, Maëva; Stewart Johnson, Sarah; McIntosh, Ophélie; Szopa, Cyril; Freissinet, Caroline; Sekine, Yasuhito; Fukushi, Keisuke; Morida, Koki; Inoue, Kosuke; Sakuma, Hiroshi; Rampe, Elizabeth; European Commission (EC); Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS); Comunidad de Madrid; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI); Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Identifying unequivocal signs of life on Mars is one of the most important objectives for sending missions to the red planet. Here we report Red Stone, a 163-100 My alluvial fan–fan delta that formed under arid conditions in the Atacama Desert, rich in hematite and mudstones containing clays such as vermiculite and smectites, and therefore geologically analogous to Mars. We show that Red Stone samples display an important number of microorganisms with an unusual high rate of phylogenetic indeterminacy, what we refer to as “dark microbiome”, and a mix of biosignatures from extant and ancient microorganisms that can be barely detected with state-of-the-art laboratory equipment. Our analyses by testbed instruments that are on or will be sent to Mars unveil that although the mineralogy of Red Stone matches that detected by ground-based instruments on the red planet, similarly low levels of organics will be hard, if not impossible to detect in Martian rocks depending on the instrument and technique used. Our results stress the importance in returning samples to Earth for conclusively addressing whether life ever existed on Mars.
Acceso Abierto
Draft Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas sp. Strain T2.31D-1, Isolated from a Drilling Core Sample Obtained 414 Meters below Surface in the Iberian Pyrite Belt
(American Society for Microbiology, 2021-01-07) Martínez Lozano, José Manuel; Escudero, C.; Leandro, T.; Mateos, G.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN); 0000-0003-3954-2985; 0000-0003-1240-4144; 0000-0002-7560-1033
We report the draft genome of Pseudomonas sp. strain T2.31D-1, which was isolated from a drilling core sample obtained 414 m below surface in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The genome consists of a 4.7-Mb chromosome with 4,428 coding sequences, 1 rRNA operon, 59 tRNA genes, and a 31.8-kb plasmid.
Acceso Abierto
Fluorescence microscopy for the in situ study of the Iberian pyrite belt subsurface geomicrobiology
(Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 2018-05-11) Escudero, C.
The subsurface is considered as an extreme environment characterized by a continuous darkness, anaerobiosis and oligotrophy where there is barely space for life. Despite the hostile conditions presented by the system, numerous studies have shown that life in the subsurface is diverse and is maintained by low energy anaerobic processes that, at first, are supported by the mineral geochemistry of the system. However, due to the difficulty of both sampling and analysis, our understanding of the functioning of these ecosystems is very limited. The Iberian Pyrite Belt Subsurface Life (IPBSL) project and its predecessor, the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) project, are drilling projects carried out for the characterization of the underground ecosystem of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), responsible for the peculiarities that the Río Tinto presents. Both projects have been developed by interdisciplinary teams and multiple complementary techniques have been applied to study the geomicrobiology of the IPB. Within the methodologies used for the study of the IPB subsurface microbiology, stands out Fluorescent in situ Hybridization (FISH), which allows not only to identify microorganisms but to analyze their distribution in the solid rock matrix. Throughout this thesis, within the framework of the IPBSL project, the biodiversity of samples from drilling cores along borehole BH10 (613 meters below surface) has been characterized by means of several fluorescence microscopy techniques. To this end, new species specific probes have been designed, which have been used together with probes already described for the study of the biodiversity distribution in the IPB subsurface through CAtalized Reporter Deposition fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH). In addition, the presence of biofilms in native samples of the subsurface has been analyzed thanks to the use of fluorescent lectins and specific stains of DNA, lipids and proteins, as well as the optimization of the double labeling of oligonucleotide probes for fluorescence in situ hybridization (DOPE-FISH) protocol. On the other hand, the correlation between fluorescence microscopy and confocal Raman microscopy (CRM) allowed an in situ study of the microorganism-mineral interaction in these samples. Finally, the role of nitrate-reducing microorganisms, which are the most abundant in the IPB subsurface, has been analyzed. Our results indicate that life in the IPB subsurface is diverse and is widely distributed along the BH10 column. The microorganisms that inhabit this environment live forming part of multi-species biofilms and are able, in principle, to survive thanks to metabolic interactions through which they can maximize the obtaining of energy and the biogeochemical cycles in the IPB subsurface can be maintained. In addition, mineralogy influences the distribution of life in the system, highlighting the nitrate-reducing microorganisms, which are candidates for the dissolution of metal sulfides in these anaerobic environment and, therefore, the high concentration of iron found in the Río Tinto basin.
Acceso Abierto
Methanogenesis at High Temperature, High Ionic Strength and Low pH in the Volcanic Area of Dallol, Ethiopia
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2021-06-06) Sanz, J. L.; Rodríguez, Nuria; Escudero, C.; Carrizo, D.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Gómez, Felipe; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Sanz, J. L. [0000-0003-3226-3967]; Escudero, C. [0000-0003-1240-4144]; Carrizo, D. [0000-0003-1568-4591]; Amils, R. [0000-0002-7560-1033]; Gómez, F. [0000-0001-9977-7060]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
The Dallol geothermal area originated as a result of seismic activity and the presence of a shallow underground volcano, both due to the divergence of two tectonic plates. In its ascent, hot water dissolves and drags away the subsurface salts. The temperature of the water that comes out of the chimneys is higher than 100 °C, with a pH close to zero and high mineral concentration. These factors make Dallol a polyextreme environment. So far, nanohaloarchaeas, present in the salts that form the walls of the chimneys, have been the only living beings reported in this extreme environment. Through the use of complementary techniques: culture in microcosms, methane stable isotope signature and hybridization with specific probes, the methanogenic activity in the Dallol area has been assessed. Methane production in microcosms, positive hybridization with the Methanosarcinales probe and the δ13CCH4-values measured, show the existence of extensive methanogenic activity in the hydrogeothermic Dallol system. A methylotrophic pathway, carried out by Methanohalobium and Methanosarcina-like genera, could be the dominant pathway for methane production in this environment.
Restringido
Subsurface and surface halophile communities of the chaotropic Salar de Uyuni
(Society for Applied Microbiology, 2021-01-28) Martínez Lozano, José Manuel; Escudero, C.; Rodíguez, N.; Rubin, S.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO); 0000-0003-3954-2985; 0000-0002-3387-7760; 0000-0002-7560-1033; 0000-0003-1240-4144; 0000-0003-4109-4851
Salar de Uyuni (SdU) is the biggest athalosaline environment on Earth, holding a high percentage of the known world Li reserves. Due to its hypersalinity, temperature and humidity fluctuations, high exposure to UV radiation, and its elevated concentration of chaotropic agents like MgCl2, LiCl and NaBr, SdU is considered a polyextreme environment. Here, we report the prokaryotic abundance and diversity of 46 samples obtained in different seasons and geographical areas. The identified bacterial community was found to be more heterogeneous than the archaeal community, with both communities varying geographically. A seasonal difference has been detected for archaea. Salinibacter, Halonotius and Halorubrum were the most abundant genera in Salar de Uyuni. Different unclassified archaea were also detected. In addition, the diversity of two subsurface samples obtained at 20 and 80 m depth was evaluated and compared with the surface data, generating an evolutionary record of a multilayer hypersaline ecosystem.
Acceso Abierto
The Molecular Record of Metabolic Activity in the Subsurface of the Río Tinto Mars Analog
(Mary Ann Liebert Publishers, 2021-08-26) Fernández Remolar, D. C.; Gómez Ortiz, D.; Huang, T.; Anglés, A.; Shen, Y.; Hu, Q.; Amils Pibernat, R.; Rodríguez, Nuria; Escudero, C.; Banerjee, N. R.; Fundo para o Desenvolvimento das Ciências e da Tecnologia (FDCT); China National Space Administration (CNSA)
In the subsurface, the interplay between microbial communities and the surrounding mineral substrate, potentially used as an energy source, results in different mineralized structures. The molecular composition of such structures can record and preserve information about the metabolic pathways that have produced them. To characterize the molecular composition of the subsurface biosphere, we have analyzed some core samples by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) that were collected in the borehole BH8 during the operations of the Mars Analog and Technology Experiment (MARTE) project. The molecular analysis at a micron-scale mapped the occurrence of several inorganic complexes bearing PO3-, SOx(2 to 4)-, NOx(2,3)-, FeOx(1,2)-, SiO2-, and Cl-. Their distribution correlates with organic molecules that were tentatively assigned to saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, saccharides, phospholipids, sphingolipids, and potential peptide fragments. SOx- appear to be mineralizing some microstructures larger than 25 microns, which have branched morphologies, and that source SO3-bearing adducts. PO3-rich compounds occur in two different groups of microstructures which size, morphology, and composition are different. While a group of >40-micron sized circular micronodules lacks organic compounds, an ovoidal microstructure is associated with m/z of other lipids. The NO2-/NO3- and Cl- ions occur as small microstructure clusters (<20 microns), but their distribution is dissimilar to the mineralized microstructures bearing PO3-, and SO3-. However, they have a higher density in areas with more significant enrichment in iron oxides that are traced by different Fe-bearing anions like FeO2-. The distribution of the organic and inorganic negative ions, which we suggest, resulted from the preservation of at least three microbial consortia (PO4--, and NO2--/NO3--mineralizers PO4-lipid bearing microstructures), would have resulted from different metabolic and preservation pathways.
Acceso Abierto
Visualizing Microorganism-Mineral Interaction in the Iberian Pyrite Belt Subsurface: The Acidovorax Case
(Extreme Microbiology, 2020-11-26) Escudero, C.; Del Campo, Adolfo; Ares, J. R.; Sánchez, C.; Martínez Lozano, José Manuel; Gómez, Felipe; Amils Pibernat, R.; Lorente Sánchez, Cristina; Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI); Martínez, J. M. [0000-0003-3954-2985]; Escudero, C. [0000-0003-1240-4144]; Unidad de Excelencia Científica María de Maeztu Centro de Astrobiología del Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial y CSIC, MDM-2017-0737
Despite being considered an extreme environment, several studies have shown that life in the deep subsurface is abundant and diverse. Microorganisms inhabiting these systems live within the rock pores and, therefore, the geochemical and geohydrological characteristics of this matrix may influence the distribution of underground biodiversity. In this study, correlative fluorescence and Raman microscopy (Raman-FISH) was used to analyze the mineralogy associated with the presence of members of the genus Acidovorax, an iron oxidizing microorganisms, in native rock samples of the Iberian Pyrite Belt subsurface. Our results suggest a strong correlation between the presence of Acidovorax genus and pyrite, suggesting that the mineral might greatly influence its subsurface distribution.