The potential of the culturable bacterial community from an Alpine coniferous forest site for the degradation of organic polymers and pollutants at low (5 °C) and moderate (20 °C) temperatures was evaluated. The majority of the 68 strains belonged to the phylum Proteobacteria (77%). Other strains were related to Bacteroidetes (12%), Alphaproteobacteria (4%), Actinobacteria (3%), and Firmicutes (3%). The strains were grouped into 42 different OTUs. The highest bacterial diversity was found within the phylum Bacteroidetes. All strains, except one, could grow at temperatures from 5 to 25 °C. The production of enzyme activities involved in the degradation of organic polymers present in plant litter (carboxymethyl cellulose, microgranular cellulose, xylan, polygalacturonic acid) was almost comparable at 5 °C (68%) and 20 °C (63%). Utilizers of lignin compounds (lignosulfonic acid, lignin alkali) as sole carbon source were found to a higher extent at 20 °C (57%) than at 5 °C (24%), but the relative fractions among positively tested strains utilizing these compounds were almost identical at the two temperatures. Similar results were noted for utilizers of organic pollutants (n-hexadecane, diesel oil, phenol, glyphosate) as sole carbon source. More than two-thirds showed constitutively expressed catechol-1,2-dioxygenase activity both at 5 °C (74%) and 20 °C (66%). Complete phenol (2.5 mmol/L) degradation by strain Paraburkholderia aromaticivorans AR20-38 was demonstrated at 0-30 °C, amounts up to 7.5 mmol/L phenol were fully degraded at 10-30 °C. These results are useful to better understand the effect of changing temperatures on microorganisms involved in litter degradation and nutrient turnover in Alpine forest soils.

• MeSH
• Bacteria classification   genetics   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Bacterial Proteins metabolism   MeSH
• Biodegradation, Environmental MeSH
• Biodiversity MeSH
• Biopolymers metabolism   MeSH
• Tracheophyta microbiology   MeSH
• Phenol metabolism   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Environmental Pollutants metabolism   MeSH
• Forests * MeSH
• Lignin metabolism   MeSH
• Soil Microbiology MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics   MeSH
• Temperature MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Bacterial Proteins MeSH
• Biopolymers MeSH
• Phenol MeSH
• Environmental Pollutants MeSH
• Lignin MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH

Microbial communities in human-impacted soils of ancient settlements have been proposed to be used as ecofacts (bioindicators) of different ancient anthropogenic activities. In this study, bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities inhabiting soil of three archaic layers, excavated at the archaeological site on Monte Iato (Sicily, Italy) and believed to have been created in a chronological order in archaic times in the context of periodic cultic feasts, were investigated in terms of (i) abundance (phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and quantitative PCR)), (ii) carbon(C)-source consumption patterns (Biolog-Ecoplates) and (iii) diversity and community composition (Illumina amplicon sequencing). PLFA analyses demonstrated the existence of living bacteria and fungi in the soil samples of all three layers. The upper layer showed increased levels of organic C, which were not concomitant with an increment in the microbial abundance. In taxonomic terms, the results indicated that bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities were highly diverse, although differences in richness or diversity among the three layers were not detected for any of the communities. However, significantly different microbial C-source utilization patterns and structures of bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities in the three layers confirmed that changing features of soil microbial communities reflect different past human activities.

• MeSH
• Archaea genetics   MeSH
• Archaeology methods   MeSH
• Bacteria genetics   MeSH
• Biodiversity MeSH
• DNA, Bacterial genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Fungal genetics   MeSH
• Nitrogen metabolism   MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Fungi genetics   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Human Activities MeSH
• Soil MeSH
• Soil Microbiology MeSH
• Carbon metabolism   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Sicily MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• DNA, Fungal MeSH
• Nitrogen MeSH
• Soil MeSH
• Carbon MeSH

Microbial ecology has been recognized as useful in archaeological studies. At Archaic Monte Iato in Western Sicily, a native (indigenous) building was discovered. The objective of this study was the first examination of soil microbial communities related to this building. Soil samples were collected from archaeological layers at a ritual deposit (food waste disposal) in the main room and above the fireplace in the annex. Microbial soil characterization included abundance (cellular phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), viable bacterial counts), activity (physiological profiles, enzyme activities of viable bacteria), diversity, and community structure (bacterial and fungal Illumina amplicon sequencing, identification of viable bacteria). PLFA-derived microbial abundance was lower in soils from the fireplace than in soils from the deposit; the opposite was observed with culturable bacteria. Microbial communities in soils from the fireplace had a higher ability to metabolize carboxylic and acetic acids, while those in soils from the deposit metabolized preferentially carbohydrates. The lower deposit layer was characterized by higher total microbial and bacterial abundance and bacterial richness and by a different carbohydrate metabolization profile compared to the upper deposit layer. Microbial community structures in the fireplace were similar and could be distinguished from those in the two deposit layers, which had different microbial communities. Our data confirmed our hypothesis that human consumption habits left traces on microbiota in the archaeological evidence; therefore, microbiological residues as part of the so-called ecofacts are, like artifacts, key indicators of consumer behavior in the past.

• Keywords
• Archaeomicrobiology, Community level physiological profile (CLPP), Culturable and nonculturable bacteria, PLFA, Soil bacterial and fungal diversity,
• MeSH
• Acetates metabolism   MeSH
• Archaeology * MeSH
• Bacteria classification   genetics   isolation & purification   metabolism   MeSH
• Bacterial Load MeSH
• Biodiversity MeSH
• Biomass MeSH
• History, Ancient MeSH
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• DNA, Fungal MeSH
• Enzyme Assays MeSH
• Phospholipids metabolism   MeSH
• Heterotrophic Processes MeSH
• Fungi classification   genetics   metabolism   MeSH
• Carboxylic Acids metabolism   MeSH
• Human Activities history   MeSH
• Fatty Acids metabolism   MeSH
• Microbial Consortia genetics   physiology   MeSH
• Soil chemistry   MeSH
• Soil Microbiology * MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S genetics   MeSH
• Cluster Analysis MeSH
• Check Tag
• History, Ancient MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Historical Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Acetates MeSH
• DNA, Bacterial MeSH
• DNA, Fungal MeSH
• Phospholipids MeSH
• Carboxylic Acids MeSH
• Fatty Acids MeSH
• Soil MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 16S MeSH