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Higher Microbial Biomass Accumulation on El Médano 464 Meteorite Compared with Adjacent Soils in the Atacama Desert
Indexado
WoS WOS:001425485200004
Scopus SCOPUS_ID:85219146612
DOI 10.1089/AST.2024.0071
Año 2025
Tipo artículo de investigación

Citas Totales

Autores Afiliación Chile

Instituciones Chile

% Participación
Internacional

Autores
Afiliación Extranjera

Instituciones
Extranjeras


Abstract



Chondritic meteorites can be appropriate substrates for the colonization of terrestrial microorganisms. However, determining whether organic compounds are intrinsic to the meteorite or come from external (terrestrial) contamination is still controversial. This research explores the molecular distribution and carbon isotopic composition of three lipid families (hydrocarbons, alkanoic acids, and alcohols) as well as DNA extracted from the interior of a CO carbonaceous chondrite named El M & eacute;dano 464 (EM 464), discovered in the Atacama Desert in 2019. Three soil samples from the discovery area of EM 464 were collected and used as a background control for the composition and distribution of organic compounds. Our results revealed a higher abundance of the three lipid families in EM 464 compared with the surrounding soil samples. The organic compounds in EM 464 showed a mean delta 13C value of -27.8 +/- 0.5 for hydrocarbons (N = 20), -27.6 +/- 1.1 for alkanoic acids (N = 17), and -27.5 +/- 2.2 parts per thousand for alcohols (N = 18). These delta 13C-depleted values are compatible with terrestrial biosignatures and are within isotopic values produced as a result of carbon fixation due to the Calvin cycle (delta 13C of ca. from -19 to -34 parts per thousand) widely used by photosynthetic terrestrial microorganisms. The DNA analysis (based on the bacterial 16S rRNA gene) showed a dominance of Proteobacteria (now Pseudomonadota) and Actinobacteriota in both meteorite and soils but exhibited different bacterial composition at the family level. This suggests that the microbial material inside the meteorite may have partially come from the adjacent soils, but we cannot rule out other sources, such as windborne microbes from distant locations. In addition, the meteorite showed higher bacterial diversity (H' = 2.4-2.8) compared with the three soil samples (H' = 0.3-1.8). Based on the distribution and delta 13C value of organic compounds as well as DNA analysis, we suggest that most, if not all, of the organic compounds detected in the studied CO chondrite are of terrestrial origin (i.e., contamination). The terrestrial contamination of EM 464 by a diverse microbial community indicates that Atacama chondrites can offer distinctive ecological conditions for microorganisms to thrive in the harsh desert environment, which can result in an accumulation of microbial biomass and preservation of molecular fossils over time.

Revista



Revista ISSN
Astrobiology 1531-1074

Métricas Externas



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Disciplinas de Investigación



WOS
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Biology
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Scopus
Sin Disciplinas
SciELO
Sin Disciplinas

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Publicaciones WoS (Ediciones: ISSHP, ISTP, AHCI, SSCI, SCI), Scopus, SciELO Chile.

Colaboración Institucional



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Autores - Afiliación



Ord. Autor Género Institución - País
1 Pinto, Gabriel A. - Inst Nat Sci - Bélgica
Univ Libre Bruxelles - Bélgica
Vrije Univ Brussel - Bélgica
Universidad de Atacama - Chile
Geological Survey of Belgium - Bélgica
Université libre de Bruxelles - Bélgica
Vrije Universiteit Brussel - Bélgica
2 Lezcano, Maria angeles - CSIC INTA - España
IMDEA Water Inst - España
CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) - España
IMDEA Water Institute - España
3 Sanchez-Garcia, Laura - CSIC INTA - España
CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) - España
4 Martinez, R. Hombre Museo Meteorito - Chile
Museo del Meteorito - Chile
5 Parro, Victor Hombre CSIC INTA - España
CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) - España
6 Carrizo, Daniel - CSIC INTA - España
CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB) - España

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Financiamiento



Fuente
Universidad de Atacama
European Regional Development Fund
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
State Agency of Research
European Social Fund Plus
Laurette Piani (CRPG)
Romulo Osses

Muestra la fuente de financiamiento declarada en la publicación.

Agradecimientos



Agradecimiento
The first author would like to express his deep appreciation to Laurette Piani (CRPG) and Romulo Osses (UDA) for all the interesting discussion about the soluble and insoluble organic matter in chondrites and the microbial distribution in the Atacama Desert. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers and the Editor Sherry L. Cady for their comments, which have helped the authors to improve the article.
The first author would like to express his deep appreciation to Laurette Piani (CRPG) and Romulo Osses (UDA) for all the interesting discussion about the soluble and insoluble organic matter in chondrites and the microbial distribution in the Atacama Desert. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers and the Editor Sherry L. Cady for their comments, which have helped the authors to improve the article.
The first author would like to express his deep appreciation to Laurette Piani (CRPG) and Romulo Osses (UDA) for all the interesting discussion about the soluble and insoluble organic matter in chondrites and the microbial distribution in the Atacama Desert. The authors thank the anonymous reviewers and the Editor Sherry L. Cady for their comments, which have helped the authors to improve the article.

Muestra la fuente de financiamiento declarada en la publicación.