Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are widely distributed in the environment. On one hand, they are opportunistic pathogens for humans and animals, and on the other hand, they are effective in biodegradation of some persistent pollutants. Following the recently recorded large abundance of NTM in extreme geothermal environments, the aim of the study was to ascertain the occurrence of NTM in the extreme environment of the water zone of the Hranice Abyss (HA). The HA mineral water is acidic, with large concentrations of free CO2, and bacterial slimes creating characteristic mucilaginous formations. Both culture and molecular methods were used to compare the mycobacterial diversity across the linked but distinct ecosystems of HA and the adjacent Zbrašov Aragonite Caves (ZAC) with consideration of their pathogenic relevance. Six slowly growing NTM species (M. arupense, M. avium, M. florentinum, M. gordonae, M. intracellulare) and two rapidly growing NTM species (M. mucogenicum, M. sediminis) were identified in the water and in the dry zones at both sites. Proteobacteria were dominant in all the samples from both the HA and the ZAC. The bacterial microbiomes of the HA mineral water and HA slime were similar, but both differed from the microbiome in the ZAC mineral water. Actinobacteria, a phylum containing mycobacteria, was identified in all the samples at low proportional abundance. The majority of the detected NTM species belong among environmental opportunistic pathogens.
- MeSH
- Caves microbiology MeSH
- Water Microbiology MeSH
- Environmental Monitoring MeSH
- Nontuberculous Mycobacteria isolation & purification MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
The dose from radon and its progeny remains a frequently discussed problem. ICRP 65 provides a commonly used methodology to calculate the dose from radon. Our work focuses on a cave environment and on assessing the doses in public open caves. The differences in conditions (aerosol size distribution, humidity, radon and its progeny ratio, etc.) are described by the so-called cave factor j. The cave factor is used to correct the dose for workers which is calculated using the ICRP 65 recommendation. In this work, the authors have brought together measured data of aerosol size distribution, unattached and attached fraction activity, and have calculated the so-called cave factor for the Bozkov dolomite cave environment. The dose conversion factors based on measured data and used for evaluating the cave factor were calculated by LUDEP software, which implements HRTM ICRP66.
Movile Cave, a unique groundwater ecosystem in southern Romania, was discovered in 1986. This chemoautotrophic cave contains an abundant and diverse fauna with terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate communities, including 33 endemic species. Since its discovery, studies have focused mainly on cave chemoautotrophic bacteria, while the microfungal community has been largely neglected. In this study, we determined the microfungal species living on various substrates in Movile Cave and compared this spectrum with the mycobiota detected outside the cave (outside air-borne and soil-borne microfungi). To investigate all of the niches, we collected samples for two consecutive years from the dry part of the cave (cave air and sediment, corroded limestone walls, isopod feces, and isopod and spider cadavers) and from the post-siphon part of the cave, i.e., Airbell II (sediment and floating microbial mat). A total of 123 microfungal species were identified from among several hundred isolates. Of these, 96 species were only detected in the cave environment and not outside of the cave, while 90 species were from the dry part of the cave and 28 were from Airbell II. The most diverse genera were Penicillium (at least 18 species) and Aspergillus (14 species), followed by Cladosporium (9 species). Surprisingly, high CFU counts of air-borne microfungi were found inside the cave; they were even higher than outside the cave during the first year of investigation.
The molecular diversity of Archaea in a bat guano pile in Cave Domica (Slovakia), temperate cave ecosystem with significant bat colony (about 1600 individuals), was examined. The guano pile was created mainly by an activity of the Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) and provides a source of organic carbon and other nutrients in the oligotrophic subsurface ecosystem. The upper and the basal parts of guano surface were sampled where the latter one had higher pH and higher admixture of limestone bedrock and increased colonization of invertebrates. The relative proportion of Archaea determined using CARD-FISH in both parts was 3.5-3.9 % (the basal and upper part, respectively). The archaeal community was dominated by non-thermophilic Crenarchaeota (99 % of clones). Phylogenetic analysis of 115 16S rDNA sequences revealed the presence of Crenarchaeota previously isolated from temperate surface soils (group 1.1b, 62 clones), deep subsurface acid waters (group 1.1a, 52 clones) and Euryarchaeota (1 clone). Four of the analyzed sequences were found to have little similarity to those in public databases. The composition of both archaeal communities differed, with respect to higher diversity of Archaea in the upper part of the bat guano pile. High diversity archaeal population is present in the bat guano deposit and consists of both soil- and subsurface-born Crenarchaeota.
- MeSH
- Archaea genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Biodiversity MeSH
- Chiroptera microbiology MeSH
- DNA, Archaeal genetics MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Feces chemistry microbiology MeSH
- Financing, Organized MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal genetics MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia MeSH
- Keywords
- naplaveniny - mikrobiologie,
- MeSH
- Chiroptera MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Feces microbiology MeSH
- Geologic Sediments microbiology MeSH
- Caves * chemistry microbiology MeSH
- Microbiological Techniques MeSH
- Water Microbiology MeSH
- Environmental Microbiology * MeSH
- Mycobacterium * genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Oligochaeta microbiology MeSH
- Polymerase Chain Reaction methods MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
A revision of the taxonomy, distribution and ecology of the millipedes of the genus Hylebainosoma Verhoeff, 1899 in the Carpathians is presented. Based on the study of numerous specimens, we consider the subspecies of the species Hylebainosoma tatranum Verhoeff, 1899 described in the past as overrated, reflecting simply intrapopulational variation attributable to the rather extended area of species distribution, different habitats of its occurrence (surface and cave habitats, soil, litter and stony debris) and wide altitudinal range from the forest zone in foothills to the alpine zone above timberline. Besides the redescription of males, the morphology of female vulvae is presented for the first time. Hylebainosoma tatranum is endemic to the extensive area of the Western and Eastern Carpathians, involving Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and highly probably Ukraine. A new troglobiont species from the karst area near the Tisovec Town (Muránska planina Mts., Central Slovakia), Hylebainosoma gulickai n. sp. is described, and is considered as stenoendemic for this small karstic region, with occurrence in few nearby caves. Hylebainosoma gulickai represents the first troglobiont chordeumatid millipede found in the northern territories of the Carpathians and the northernmost troglobiont in Central Europe in general. Morphological characteristics of both males and females are presented.Taxonomic relationships between the closely related genera Hylebainosoma and Romanosoma Ceuca, 1967 are discussed and replacement of the species Hylebainosoma cavernicola (Ceuca, 1967) n. comb., Hylebainosoma oltenica (Ceuca, 1967) n. comb. and Hylebainosoma odici (Ceuca, 1979) n. comb. into the genus Hylebainosoma is proposed. The fourth species described as Romanosoma (?) birtei Ceuca, 1967 we consider as invalid taxon. Romanosoma becomes a junior subjective synonym of the genus Hylebainosoma.
- MeSH
- Animal Structures anatomy & histology MeSH
- Arthropods anatomy & histology classification MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Caves MeSH
- Soil parasitology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
Understanding biodiversity patterns as well as drivers of population declines, and range losses provides crucial baselines for monitoring and conservation. However, the information needed to evaluate such trends remains unstandardised and sparsely available for many taxonomic groups and habitats, including the cave-dwelling bats and cave ecosystems. We developed the DarkCideS 1.0 ( https://darkcides.org/ ), a global database of bat caves and species synthesised from publicly available information and datasets. The DarkCideS 1.0 is by far the largest database for cave-dwelling bats, which contains information for geographical location, ecological status, species traits, and parasites and hyperparasites for 679 bat species are known to occur in caves or use caves in part of their life histories. The database currently contains 6746 georeferenced occurrences for 402 cave-dwelling bat species from 2002 cave sites in 46 countries and 12 terrestrial biomes. The database has been developed to be collaborative and open-access, allowing continuous data-sharing among the community of bat researchers and conservation biologists to advance bat research and comparative monitoring and prioritisation for conservation.
- MeSH
- Biodiversity MeSH
- Chiroptera * MeSH
- Databases, Factual MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Dataset MeSH
Hungarosoma bokori Verhoeff, 1928 is a millipede species which was originally classified solely on the basis of a female specimen. Subsequently, a long history of field searching for and surmising about the systematic position of this small, enigmatic species followed. In April 2013, 85 years after its first description, a series of nine specimens were sampled in the type locality, the Abaliget Cave, in southern Hungary. An adult male was collected for the first time, along with females and juveniles. Descriptions of the gonopods and the female vulvae, both important for considerations of the systematic position of the species, are presented for the first time. Revision and re-designation of the type material was made.The cryptic life of the species is connected with its activity in winter, and its known fragmented distribution corresponds with its presence in undisturbed microhabitats having a specific microclimate, often in the soil at cave entrances.Molecular methods showed a positive detection of the intracellular prokaryotic parasite Wolbachia in H. bokori, reflecting its highly probable parthenogenetic character in the main part of its known area of occurrence. This is the first demonstration of Wolbachia in a millipede.The legitimacy of the family Hungarosomatidae Ceuca, 1974, as a separate taxon was analysed using morphological and molecular approaches. Results of both methods confirmed the existence of a distinct phyletic line. DNA barcoding has shown its closest position to Attemsiidae Verhoeff, 1899, or Neoatractosomatidae Verhoeff, 1901. Based on records from Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, the residual circum-pannonic distribution that the whole genus (family) probably represents is proposed.
- MeSH
- Arthropods anatomy & histology classification genetics microbiology MeSH
- Species Specificity MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Caves MeSH
- Parthenogenesis MeSH
- DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic MeSH
- Wolbachia genetics MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Hungary MeSH
Melledobythus bilandzijae, new cavernicolous genus and species of the tribe Bythinini is described from the island of Mljet, Croatia. A detailed morphological study is presented. The new genus belongs to the phylogenetic lineage of small and anophthalmous Bythinini that lack sutural elytral striae.
- MeSH
- Animal Structures anatomy & histology growth & development MeSH
- Coleoptera anatomy & histology classification growth & development MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Caves MeSH
- Animal Distribution MeSH
- Organ Size MeSH
- Body Size MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Croatia MeSH
An integrative approach employing molecular, morphological and geographical data were applied to species delimitation among Deuteraphorura congeners occupying caves of the Western Carpathian Mts. A new species of Deuteraphorura from the Western Carpathians is described. D. muranensis sp. nov. belongs among species with 4 pso at the hind margin of the head and possesses highly troglomorphic features. It is conspicuous with its distinctly elongated claws and long, hair-like body chaetae. The status of the new species was confirmed by DNA barcoding based on the mitochondrial COI marker. Populations of D. kratochvili (Nosek, 1963), the most widespread species, were studied in detail. Both ABGD and PTP analyses brought results congruent with geography, i.e. the molecular and geographic distance of the populations were positively correlated. However, some molecular separation based on pairwise distance and the number of substitutions was indicated within two of the studied populations. Despite the indistinct morphological differences, the tested populations were well isolated both geographically and genetically, which indicates that each studied population may represent a cryptic species. The troglomorphy of cave Collembola at the northernmost border of the distribution of cave-adapted species in the Europe is discussed. It is clear that the level of troglomorphy is closely associated with conditions of the microhabitat occupied by the individual subterranean species. The results of our study enhance the importance of the Western Carpathians regarding the diversity pattern of obligate cave species in Europe.
- MeSH
- Arthropods anatomy & histology classification genetics physiology MeSH
- Ecosystem MeSH
- Adaptation, Physiological MeSH
- Caves * MeSH
- Electron Transport Complex IV genetics MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Geographicals
- Europe MeSH
- Slovakia MeSH
