Deposition of calcium carbonate in karst caves: role of bacteria in Stiffe's Cave

Ercole, Claudia; Cacchio, Paola; Cappuccio, Giorgio; Lepidi, A.

doi:10.5038/1827-806x.30.1.6

Cited by 18 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Some evidence exists that Acidobacteria are capable of methylotrophic growth (42), which may be an ecological advantage in an oligotrophic habitat with low inputs of organic matter. A number of cultivation-based investigations reported that diverse groups of Gram-positive bacteria inhabit cave environments (13,26,35,45). However, the two Gram-positive phyla (Firmicutes and Actinobacteria) in our libraries were detected at a relatively low abundance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Calcite Biomineralization by Bacterial Isolates from the Recently Discovered Pristine Karstic Herrenberg Cave

Rusznyák

Akob

Nietzsche

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

124

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Karstic caves represent one of the most important subterranean carbon storages on Earth and provide windows into the subsurface. The recent discovery of the Herrenberg Cave, Germany, gave us the opportunity to investigate the diversity and potential role of bacteria in carbonate mineral formation. Calcite was the only mineral observed by Raman spectroscopy to precipitate as stalactites from seepage water. Bacterial cells were found on the surface and interior of stalactites by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Proteobacteria dominated the microbial communities inhabiting stalactites, representing more than 70% of total 16S rRNA gene clones. Proteobacteria formed 22 to 34% of the detected communities in fluvial sediments, and a large fraction of these bacteria were also metabolically active. A total of 9 isolates, belonging to the genera Arthrobacter, Flavobacterium, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, Serratia, and Stenotrophomonas, grew on alkaline carbonate-precipitating medium. Two cultures with the most intense precipitate formation, Arthrobacter sulfonivorans and Rhodococcus globerulus, grew as aggregates, produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), and formed mixtures of calcite, vaterite, and monohydrocalcite. R. globerulus formed idiomorphous crystals with rhombohedral morphology, whereas A. sulfonivorans formed xenomorphous globular crystals, evidence for taxon-specific crystal morphologies. The results of this study highlighted the importance of combining various techniques in order to understand the geomicrobiology of karstic caves, but further studies are needed to determine whether the mineralogical biosignatures found in nutrient-rich media can also be found in oligotrophic caves.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Calcite Biomineralization by Bacterial Isolates from the Recently Discovered Pristine Karstic Herrenberg Cave

Rusznyák

Akob

Nietzsche

et al. 2012

Appl Environ Microbiol

124

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“…Indirect effects arise when the microbes induce calcite precipitation by modifying the local environment through their metabolic processes (e.g., Newman 2003, 2005;Barton and Northup 2007). That microbes can indirectly induce CaCO 3 precipitation and influence the mineralogy and morphology of the precipitated crystals has been well documented in numerous experiments (Ercole et al 2001;Groth et al 2001;Cacchio et al 2003;Rautaray et al 2003;Sanchez-Moral et al 2003;Ahmad et al 2004;Cacchio et al 2004;Rautaray et al 2004;Baskar et al 2006). Crystals precipitated in this manner do not exhibit any evidence of microbial influence, although Rautaray et al (2003Rautaray et al ( , 2004 noted that they may contain proteins indicative of the causative microbes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Cave Pearls--The Integrated Product of Abiogenic and Biogenic Processes

Jones

2009

Journal of Sedimentary Research

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Cave pearls, up to 8 cm long, collected from dried-out rimstone pools in Old Man Village cave on Grand Cayman, British West Indies, have nuclei (e.g., bone) that are encased by laminated cortices. These laminae are composed of trigonal prismatic calcite crystals, calcite crystal bushes, or particulate calcite that is formed of filamentous microbes (four morphotypes), spores (seven morphotypes), extracellular polymers (EPS), disorganized and organized calcite fiber crystals, and detrital calcite grains. Syntaxial overgrowths modified many of the fiber crystals and the trigonal calcite crystals. Thin, laterally discontinuous growth lines are formed of micrite that may have been precipitated in a microbial mat. Growth of the cave pearls involved abiogenic and biogenic processes. The trigonal calcite crystals and crystal bushes probably formed abiogenically whereas the particulate calcite laminae appear to have formed as microbes trapped and bound detrital grains to the surfaces of the cave pearls and indirectly mediated precipitation of the fiber crystals.Water flow into the rimstone pools, which was linked to local rainfall, controlled the influx of detrital grains, water chemistry, and microbe growth into the pools and hence, the growth of the cave pearls. Periods of low water influx led to stagnation of pool waters that seemed to trigger periods of rapid abiogenic calcite precipitation and curtail microbial colonization. High flow rates slowed abiogenic calcite precipitation, promoted microbe growth, and fed detrital materials into the pools. Despite the lightless environment of the cave, the evidence clearly shows that the microbes and their associated EPS played a critical role in the growth and development of the cave pearls.

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“…Possible influences on the CaCO 3 precipitation could include the colder temperatures which increases the CO 2 solubility (Garrels & Christ, 1965;Langmuir, 1997;Ford & Williams, 2007). The presence of heterotrophs and other microbial metabolism activities may alter the alkalinity (Ercole et al, 2001;Dupraz et al, 2008). No evidence of dissolution or fungal boring at the microscopic scale was seen.…”

Section: +mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, mineralogy and crystal shape is a function of the environment in which precipitation occurs (Ercole et al, 2001;Dove et al, 2003). This may include extrinsic factors such as physiochemical processes, and intrinsic microbial processes, such as respiration or production of organic molecules (Dupraz et al, 2008).…”

Section: +mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These culturable biofilm-crystal forming microbes in our study may or may not be the only microorganisms with calcite precipitation ability in these deposits, however, its presence shows that microbial influence on precipitation is plausible in this case. While it is true that bacterial species are known to produce different mineralogies and morphologies in different environments (Ercole et al, 2001), the intrinsic capability of the culturable microorganisms to influence crystallization within their biofilm does exist within the pools and moonmilk.…”

Section: Microbial Considerationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cottonballs, a unique subaqeous moonmilk, and abundant subaerial moonmilk in Cataract Cave, Tongass National Forest, Alaska

Curry¹,

Boston²,

Spilde³

et al. 2009

IJS

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The Tongass National Forest is known for its world-class karst features and contains the largest concentration of dissolutional caves in Alaska. Within these karst systems exist unusual and possibly unique formations exhibiting possible biological origin or influence. Cataract Cave is an example of such a system. This cave hosts a unique depositional setting in which so-called "cottonballs" line two permanent pools. The cottonballs are a calcitic deposit heavily entwined within a mass of microbial filaments. They are juxtaposed with extensive subaerial calcitic moonmilk wall deposit of a more conventional nature but of an extraordinary thickness and abundance. Both the cottonballs and moonmilk are composed of microcrystalline aggregates (0.20 wt.%) compared to the cottonballs (0.12 wt.%). However, the cottonballs are dominated by monocrystalline needles, whereas the moonmilk is mainly composed of polycrystalline needles. The microbial environments of both displayed similar total microbial cell counts; however, culturable microbial counts varied between the deposits and among the various media. For both, in situ cultures and isolates inoculated in a calcium salt medium produced calcium carbonate mineralization within biofilms. Geochemical variations existed between the deposits. Moonmilk displayed a slightly higher abundance of organic carbon (0.20 wt%) compared to the cottonballs (0.12 wt%). Stable isotopic analysis revealed that the moonmilk (δ13C = -1.6‰) was isotopically heavier compared to the cottonballs (δ13C = -8.1‰) but both are lighter than the host rock (δ13C = +1.1‰). However, the organic carbon δ13C values of both deposits were similar (δ13C = -27.4 and -26.7‰) and isotopically lighter compared to other overlying surface organic carbon sources. Due to the similarities between the deposits, we infer that both the cottonballs and moonmilk are subject to a set of related processes that could collectively be accommodated by the term "moonmilk". Thus, the cottonball pool formation can be characterized as a type of subaqueous moonmilk. The differences observed between the moonmilk and cottonballs may be largely attributable to the changes in the depositional environment, namely in air or water.

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Deposition of calcium carbonate in karst caves: role of bacteria in Stiffe's Cave

Cited by 18 publications

References 4 publications

Calcite Biomineralization by Bacterial Isolates from the Recently Discovered Pristine Karstic Herrenberg Cave

Calcite Biomineralization by Bacterial Isolates from the Recently Discovered Pristine Karstic Herrenberg Cave

Cave Pearls--The Integrated Product of Abiogenic and Biogenic Processes

Cottonballs, a unique subaqeous moonmilk, and abundant subaerial moonmilk in Cataract Cave, Tongass National Forest, Alaska

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