Distribution of archaea across the varied conditions at Parys Mountain, UK

Abstract

Parys Mountain, (UK) known for its diversity of acidophilic archaea and bacteria, is the location samples were sourced from. Research on samples was conducted in Thoday Building, Bangor University. This study presents the first comprehensive investigation into the diverse representation of Archaea across all sites of Parys Mountain. The primary objective of this research is to understand the influence of physiochemical factors on the distribution patterns of Archaea. To achieve this, three sediment samples were collected from eight distinct sites within the Parys Mountain area with pH range of 1.93-8.18 and Eh range of 269-623 mV. DNA extraction was performed on these samples, followed by PCR amplification of SSU rRNA and sequencing using MiSeq technology. The resulting sequences were then identified, categorized, and compared across sites to analyse the archaeal phyla present.
The findings revealed a rich variety of Archaea species alongside a substantial number of Bacteria within each Parys Mountain site. pH levels exhibited significant variation across all sites, primarily influenced by site-specific characteristics such as depth and proximity to mines. Conclusively, pH emerged as the primary factor affecting archaeal distribution, surpassing other factors such as metal concentration. However, factors are massively interconnected so a holistic view is necessary to fully understand the distribution of microorganisms. Archaea exhibited widespread presence throughout Parys Mountain, with species diversity intricately linked to pH levels. Furthermore, the abundance of bacterial reads substantially surpassed that of archaeal reads, indicating the prevalence of Bacteria over Archaea within the studied ecosystem.
Methane cycling archaea including Bathyarchaeia and Methanobacterium lacus were identified in the most pH neutral site. Woesarchales was also discovered in this site implying a symbiotic relationship that supports methanogenesis and methane oxidation. Nitrosphaeria, abundant in sites adjacent to agricultural fields are ammonia-oxidizing archaea involved in nitrification, suggesting sites specific higher ammonia levels from agricultural runoff. Also contained in these sites were Thermoplasmata. In the lowest pH sites Cuniculiplasma sequences were found a heterotrophic archaeon which lacks pathways for synthesizing certain amino acids and relies on amino acid transporters, which implies dependence on other organisms, such as bacteria, eukaryotes, and dead material, for carbon and amino acid acquisition. In site 9, two species of Ca. Micrarchaeota were found associated with Nitrosphaera and Thermoplasmatales species. Previous research into Micrarchaeota are thought to utilize quinones from Cuniculiplasma as electron donors, however as Cuniculiplasma were absent from this site it suggests Micrarchaeota can scavenge necessary compounds from other organisms, demonstrating their potential role in nutrient cycling within this environment.

Date of Award	22 Aug 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University
Supervisor	Davey Jones (Supervisor) & Olga Golyshina (Supervisor)