Ghost-rocks’ microbiota: metagenomic insights into their influence on the biogeochemistry of karstic cave and groundwater
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2026
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Abstract
Microbial communities in the critical zone drive key geochemical processes, but many subsurface habitats remain poorly characterized. Ghost-rock karst systems in particular represent unexplored microbial niches. Here, we provide the first genome-resolved metagenomic comparison of ghost-rock and groundwater microbial communities from the Sterkfontein karst system (South Africa). Ghost-rock and groundwater communities host distinct taxonomic and metabolic assemblages. Groundwater communities are dominated by chemolithotrophs capable of oxidizing sulfur- and nitrogen-bearing compounds, and by heterotrophs degrading refractory, plant-derived organic matter. In contrast, primary producers in ghost-rocks likely rely on atmospheric chemosynthesis via trace gas oxidation, while glycogen metabolism and necromass recycling point to adaptations to oligotrophic and fluctuating hydrological conditions. Groundwater taxa with metal-interacting pathways may initiate bedrock colonization via metal oxidation, whereas ghost-rock communities include potential metal reducers that could drive iron and manganese oxide dissolution and influence trace element mobility. Together, these results underscore ghost-rocks as active microbial and geochemical hot spots within karst systems that may play a non-negligible role on biomineralization/bioweathering processes and on shaping (sub)terrestrial landscapes and global biogeochemical cycles.
| Reference Key |
openalex_W7164350006
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| Authors | Guillaume Peugnet, Céline Pisapia, Bénédicte Ménèz, Maud Watkinson, Léna Lecourt, Nicolas Peugnet, J. Bouchez, Laurent Bruxelles, Emmanuelle Gérard |
| Journal | fems microbiology ecology |
| Year | 2026 |
| DOI |
10.1093/femsec/fiag047
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| URL | |
| Keywords | Keywords not found |
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