Biodiversidade e potencial biotecnológico de esteiras microbianas presentes no complexo lagunar e nas salinas da região dos lagos: uma abordagem metagenômica

Abstract

Araruama Lagoon is the largest permanent hypersaline lagoon ecosystem in the world and is located in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Its hypersalinity is mainly associated with climatic factors characteristic of the Lagos Region and specific circulation patterns. In this region, microbial mats are found, characterized as vertically laminated sedimentary biofilms and known to be precursors of stromatolites and important models for the study of microbial interactions. In the present study, a metagenomic approach was used to understand the taxonomic and functional diversity of microbial mats collected, in two seasons of the year 2013, from eight locations in lagoon and in nearby salt pans. Sequence analysis enabled the identification of Proteobacteria and Cyanobacteria as the most abundant phylum. From a functional point of view, the most abundant genes are related to the metabolism of carbohydrates and proteins, essential for the survival of microorganisms that form these mats. Finally, genes and microorganisms potentially involved in the bioinduced precipitation of calcium carbonate and in the synthesis of biopolymers used for the production of bioplastic were identified, reinforcing the biotechnological potential associated with the gene repertory available in the microbial mats in the Lagunar Araruama complex.