Characterization of Franz Josef Land Soil Mycobiota by Microbiological Plating and Real-time PCR

The mycobiota of the following soils of the Franz Josef Land archipelago was characterized using the classical plating techniques and real-time PCR methods: Cryosols (Arenic), Cryosols (Loamic), Oxyaquic Cryosols (Loamic), Leptosols (Loamic), and Cryosols (Loamic, Humic). The total abundance of microscopic fungi varied from 3.10 × 101 CFU/g soil in deep mineral horizons to 6.56 × 103 CFU/g soil in the upper organogenic soil horizons. A total of 47 micromycete species were isolated, which belonged to 32 genera from three divisions. Psychrotolerant strains growing at both 5 and 25°C were predominant. The genera Penicillium (five species), Cadophora (four species), Cladosporium, Phoma, and Thelebolus (three species each) exhibited the highest species diversity. The most numerous genera: Penicillium, Hyphozyma, Phoma, Antarctomyces, and Pseudogymnoascus, were saprotrophic and common in cold ecosystems. Pseudogymnoascus pannorum, Hyphozyma variabilis var. variabilis, Penicillium aurantiogriseum, Thelebolus microsporus, and Goffeauzyma gilvescens were the species most often revealed by plating (over 40% occurrence). A significant part (30%) of identified species were those included in the BSL database of species pathogenic for humans and animals. The number of copies of fungal rRNA gene ITSs varied from 1.00 × 109 to 4.40 × 1010 copies/g soil in the mineral and organogenic layers, respectively. Spatial heterogeneity of mycobiota in the soils of the Franz Josef Land archipelago was revealed within the upper 5-cm layer, while deeper horizons were characterized by a uniform structure of micromycete communities.