Impact of solar radiation on bacterioplankton in Laguna Vilama, a hypersaline Andean lake (4650 m)

Laguna Vilama is a hypersaline Lake located at 4660 m altitude in the northwest of Argentina high up in the Andean Puna. The impact of ultraviolet (UV) radiation on bacterioplankton was studied by collecting samples at different times of the day. Molecular analysis (DGGE) showed that the bacterioplankton community is characterized by Gamma-proteobacteria (Halomonas sp., Marinobacter sp.), Alpha-proteobacteria (Roseobacter sp.), HGC (Agrococcus jenensis and an uncultured bacterium), and CFB (uncultured Bacteroidetes). During the day, minor modifications in bacterial diversity such as intensification of Bacteroidetes' signal and an emergence of Gamma-proteobacteria (Marinobacter flavimaris) were observed after solar exposure. DNA damage, measured as an accumulation of Cyclobutane Pyrimidine Dimers (CPDs), in bacterioplankton and naked DNA increased from 100 CPDs MB−1 at 1200 local time (LT) to 300 CPDs MB−1 at 1600 LT, and from 80 CPDs MB−1 at 1200 LT to 640 CPDs MB−1 at 1600 LT, respectively. In addition, pure cultures of Pseudomonas sp. V1 and Brachybacterium sp. V5, two bacteria previously isolated from this environment, were exposed simultaneously with the community, and viability of both strains diminished after solar exposure. No CPD accumulation was observed in either of the exposed cultures, but an increase in mutagenesis was detected in V5. Of both strains only Brachybacterium sp. V5 showed CPD accumulation in naked DNA. These results suggest that the bacterioplankton community is well adapted to this highly solar irradiated environment showing little accumulation of CPDs and few changes in the community composition. They also demonstrate that these microorganisms contain efficient mechanisms against UV damage.