Molecular Characterization of Aquatic Bacterial Communities in Dinaric Range Caves

Dinaric limestone cave systems, recognized as biodiversity hotspots, harbor unique microbial communities with significant ecological and evolutionary implications. A study analyzing filamentous microbial biofilms from three Dinaric caves—Vjetrenica, Veternica, and Izvor Bistrac—revealed distinct phylogenetic distributions, highlighting the prevalence of Nitrospirae in Vjetrenica (60%) and Veternica (36%), while Alphaproteobacteria (41%) and Firmicutes (32%) dominated in Izvor Bistrac. The research also identified three novel uncultured candidate divisions (OP3, WS5, OD1), underscoring the unexplored diversity of subterranean microbial life. This molecular characterization, combining 16S rRNA-based phylogeny with protein-coding gene analysis, provides critical insights into the structure and function of cave bacterial communities, offering potential new avenues for studying microbial evolution and its role in supporting subterranean ecosystems.

Pleše, B., Pojskić, N., Ozimec, R., Mazija, M., Ćetković, H., & Lukić‐Bilela, L. (2016). Molecular Characterization of Aquatic Bacterial Communities in Dinaric Range Caves. Water Environment Research, 88(7), 617–629. Portico. https://doi.org/10.2175/106143016x14609975746488