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Characterization of halotolerant and oligotrophic bacterial communities in Asian desert dust (KOSA) bioaerosol accumulated in layers of snow on Mount Tateyama, Central Japan

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Abstract

Microbial particles transported by Asian desert dust (KOSA) possibly impact ecosystems and human health in downwind environments and are commonly called “bioaerosols.” The microbial communities associated with KOSA mineral particles (KOSA bioaerosol), which were collected from the snow cover on Mt. Tateyama, were investigated by means of a culture-amendment technique combined with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis using 16S rRNA genes. After the stratigraphy of the snow layer formed on the walls of a snow pit on Mt. Tateyama, samples were collected from 2 layers, which included KOSA particles and one which did not. The snow samples with KOSA particles indicated microbial growth in the 100 and 10−1 dilution media and in the medium with NaCl below 10%, while the snow sample without KOSA particles showed no microbial growth in the culture media. The PCR–DGGE analysis revealed that the bacterial compositions in the snow samples including KOSA mineral particles were mainly composed of the members of the phyla Actinobacteria, Firmicutus, and Proteobacteria. In particular, the 2 phylotypes appeared in the microbial cultures were similar to the members of the B. subtilis group, which has been detected in bioaerosol samples collected from the atmosphere over KOSA arrival (Suzu City) and source (Dunhuang City) regions. Presumably, halotolerant and oligotrophic bacterial communities are associated with the KOSA particles that descend to the snow cover on Mt. Tateyama.

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Acknowledgments

We thank H. Honoki (Toyama Science Museum) and A. Takahashi (University of Toyama) for their chemical analysis using ion chromatography. This research was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for the Encouragement of Young Scientists (22681005) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Japan. The Global Environment Research Fund (C-091) provided by the Ministry of the Environment, Japan also supported this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Teruya Maki, Fumihisa Kobayashi, Makiko Kakikawa & Hiroshi Hasegawa

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Toyama, 3190 Gofuku, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan

    Kazuma Aoki

  3. Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort, Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Yutaka Tobo

  4. Frontier Science Organization, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Yutaka Tobo, Atsushi Matsuki & Yasunobu Iwasaka

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  1. Teruya Maki
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Correspondence to Teruya Maki.

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Maki, T., Aoki, K., Kobayashi, F. et al. Characterization of halotolerant and oligotrophic bacterial communities in Asian desert dust (KOSA) bioaerosol accumulated in layers of snow on Mount Tateyama, Central Japan. Aerobiologia 27, 277–290 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-011-9196-0

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