ThermoPhilic and ThermoToleranT microfungi of coal

mine SPoil TiPS beyond The arcTic circle

microhongoS TermofílicoS y TermoToleranTeS de laS eScombreraS

de laS minaS de carbón máS allá del círculo árTico

1

Vadim A. Iliushin * & Irina Y. Kirtsideli

Summary

Background and aims: Thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi occupy a variety of

ecological niches. The purpose of this article is to show that these microfungi are

able to live even in such harsh conditions of the high Arctic beyond the Arctic Circle.

M&M: Rock from coal mine spoil tips were collected and studied using scanning

electron microscopy. The method of direct inoculation was employed to isolate

microfungi. The isolates were identiﬁed using morphological identiﬁcation and

molecular methods. The growth rate of micromycetes was studied depending on

temperature.

1

. Komarov Botanical Institute,

Russian Academy of Sciences, Saint

Petersburg, Russia

*

ilva94@yandex.ru

Citar este artículo

ILIUSHIN, V. A. & I. Y. KIRTSIDELI.

Results: Eight cultures of microfungi belonging to six species that are able to grow at

temperatures of 45 °C and above were isolated from coal mine spoil tips.

Conclusions: The data obtained indicate the presence of thermophilic and

thermotolerant microfungi in the spoil tips of coal mines beyond the Arctic Circle. All

the fungi belonged to the order Eurotiales. These microfungi are able to exist in the

harshest conditions with several simultaneous adverse factors.

2

0 2 4 . T h e r m o p h i l i c a n d

thermotolerant microfungi of coal

mine spoil tips beyond the Arctic

Circle. Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59(4):

1

-13. Versión en línea.

DOI: https://doi.

org/10.31055/1851.2372.v59.

n4.44478

Key wordS

Arctic, coal mine, microfungi, spoil tips, thermophilic, thermotolerant.

reSumen

Introducción y objetivos: Los hongos termóﬁlos y termotolerantes ocupan una

variedad de nichos ecológicos. El objetivo de este artículo es mostrar que estos

hongos microscópicos son capaces de vivir incluso en las duras condiciones del

alto Ártico más allá del Círculo Polar Ártico.

M&M: Se recogieron y estudiaron rocas de los restos de las minas de carbón

mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido. Se empleó el método de inoculación

directa para aislar microhongos. Los aislamientos fueron caracterizados mediante

identiﬁcación morfológica y métodos moleculares. La tasa de crecimiento de los

micromicetos se estudió en función de la temperatura.

Resultados: Se lograron ocho cultivos de hongos microscópicos pertenecientes a

seis especies que pueden crecer a temperaturas de 45 °C y superiores de los

escombros de las minas de carbón.

Conclusiones: Los datos obtenidos indican la presencia de hongos microscópicos

termóﬁlos y termotolerantes en los vertederos de minas de carbón más allá del

Círculo Polar Ártico. Todos los hongos pertenecían al orden Eurotiales. Estos

hongos microscópicos pueden existir en las condiciones más duras con varios

factores adversos simultáneos.

PalabraS clave

Ártico, microhongos, mina de carbón, termóﬁlo, termotolerante, vertedero de carbón.

Recibido: 6 Mar 2024

Aceptado: 10 Sep 2024

Publicado en línea: 10 Dic 2024

Publicado impreso: 31 Dic 2024

Editora: María Victoria Vignale

ISSN versión impresa 0373-580X

ISSN versión on-line 1851-2372

1

Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59 (4) 2024

InTroducTion

Thermophilic fungi were found on the surface of

rocks during coal mining in areas with high surface

Fungi are capable of existing at constantly temperatures caused by combustion inside the tip,

high temperatures. These fungi can be classiﬁed and in areas with normal surface temperatures. In

as thermophilic or thermotolerant, depending on rock samples from areas with elevated temperatures,

the optimal growth temperature. Thus, fungi are signiﬁcantly more thermophilic micromycetes were

considered thermophiles if the optimal growth found than from areas with normal temperatures

temperature is 45 °C or higher (Mouchacca, (Tansey & Brook, 1978).

2

000). Thermophiles are considered as a special

The rock tips of the Chandameta, Parasiya and

Newton Chikli coal mines (Madhya Pradesh, India)

case of extremophiles.

Thermotolerant and thermophilic fungi are characterized by spontaneous combustion

can be isolated from a wide variety of places processes, which, together with the arid climate,

where the substrate is heated. Examples of such makes these habitats especially extreme (Salar, 2018).

habitats can be compost pits, urban landﬁlls of As a result of the study of the mycobiota of these

household and industrial waste - large, moist, tips, 14 species of microfungi belonging to the

isolated accumulations of organic matter, where genera Absidia Tiegh., Achaetomium J.N. Rai, J.P.

internal temperatures rise as a result of microbial Tewari & Mukerji, Aspergillus P. Micheli ex Haller,

respiration (thermogenesis) (Zak & Wildman, Emericella Berk., Humicola Traaen, Penicillium Link,

2

004). Thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi can Rhizopus Ehrenb., Sporotrichum Link, Thermoascus

also be isolated from bird nests (Korniłłowicz- Miehe, Thermomyces Tsikl., Thielavia Zopf, and

Kowalska & Kitowski, 2013). Thermophilic Torula Pers. were discovered (Johri & Thakre, 1975;

micromycetes are characteristic of the mycobiota Thakre & Johri, 1976). Two new yeast endemic

of thermal springs (Pan et al., 2010). Microfungi species, Debaryomyces singareniensis Saluja & G.S.

are ubiquitous in soils where the sun can heat Prasad and Torulaspora indica Saluja, Yelchuri, Sohal,

the surface to high temperatures. It is noted Bhagat, Paramjit & G.S. Prasad, have been identiﬁed

that these fungi can make up a signiﬁcant part from the rock of coal mine spoil tips in another region

of the mycobiota of soils in arid and tropical of India, Andhra Pradesh (Saluja & Prasad, 2007;

regions (Mouchacca, 2000). In addition to the Saluja et al., 2012).

listed habitats, thermophilic and thermotolerant

The biodiversity of technogenic spoil tips has

micromycetes are the most important part of the been studied across industrial regions in various

mycobiota of coal mine spoil tips (Evans, 1971; climatic zones. However, the degree of knowledge

Tansey & Brook, 1978; Bilaj, 1985).

of the mycobiota of various coal mining areas is very

The ﬁrst studies of the microbiota of coal heterogeneous. Thus, almost all the few studies are

deposits were carried out in 1928 (Lieske & devoted to the study of rock tips of coal mines and

Hofmann, 1928). The work described a wide range quarries in the temperate zone of Europe (Evans, 1971;

of microorganisms, including micromycetes, Ulﬁg & Korcz, 1995; Detheridge et al., 2018). Studies

living in German mine spoil tips.

of coal tips in the Arctic are few and focus primarily on

The greatest interest in the mycobiota of Svalbard (Iliushin, 2020; Iliushin et al., 2022a), the Komi

coal mine spoil tips (waste heaps, slagheaps) is Republic (Khabibullina et al., 2015; Iliushin & Kirtsideli,

due to the fact that tips can serve as a habitat 2021), and the Magadan region (Iliushin et al., 2022b).

for thermophilic and thermotolerant species.

In this work, for the ﬁrst time, thermophilic and

Strong heating of the insolated surface of the thermotolerant strains of microfungi were screened in

slope (Manakov & Kupriyanov, 2009), as well as the Arctic Circle.

oxidative processes occurring in the thickness of

the tip, leading to heating (Lewińska & Dyczko,

2

016) or even spontaneous combustion (Querol et maTerialS and meThodS

al., 2008), create unfavorable conditions for most

types of fungi. However, such an extreme habitat Sampling

is suitable for the formation of thermophilic

mycobiota.

Samples for the mycological research were taken

from spoil tips of the coal mine “Nos. 1-5” near

2

V. A. Iliushin & I. Y. Kirtsideli - Microfungi of coal mine in the Arctic Circle

Barentsburg village (78° 03′ 51′′ N, 14° 11′ 09′′ N, 64° 02′ E) Komi Republic (Russia) at the end

E) on the Svalbard (Norway) from July to August of July 2019 and from spoil tips of the coal mine

2

018; from spoil tips of the Komsomolskaya “Tal-Yuryakh” near the town of Susuman (62° 47′

coal mine and the spoil tip of the Pechora Central N, 148° 09′ E) Magadan region (Russia) in august

Processing Plant near the city of Vorkuta (67° 30′ 2020 (Fig. 1). The samples were obtained from

Fig. 1. Sampling locations. A: Formed spoil tip from Svalbard. B: Spoil tip with burnt rock from Svalbard. C:

Formed spoil tip from Komi Republic. D: Spoil tip with burnt rock from Komi Republic. E: Formed spoil tip

from Magadan region. F: Spoil tip with burnt rock from Magadan region.

3

Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59 (4) 2024

formed (exploited) spoil tips and spoil tips with °C (Raper & Thom, 1949; Kashkin et al., 1979).

burnt rock of the coal mines. Burnt rocks are formed Chloramphenicol (100 mg/L) was added to the

during high-temperature transformations of primary culture medium to suppress the growth of bacteria.

rocks in an oxygen atmosphere (Nenakhova, 1989).

The isolates of each species were initially

Thus, the mycobiota of two types of ecosystems identiﬁed by morphological identiﬁcation using

associated with coal mining, located in three natural the identiﬁcation handbooks, manuals and articles

zones (arctic tundra, southern tundra, and forest- after their isolation in pure culture (Egorova,

tundra) has been studied. Geobotanical descriptions 1986; Domsch et al., 2007; Samson et al., 2010;

were performed on the selected sites, and average Houbraken et al., 2012; Hubka et al., 2013). For

samples of soil and spoil tip rock were selected (Table micromorphological examination, microscopy by

1). Samples of rock for mycological analysis were Carl Zeiss AxioImager А1 was employed.

collected in individual sterile 50-milliliter plastic

tubes. All samples were stored at 4 °C.

The isolates were also identiﬁed by molecular

methods. DNA was extracted by using a Diamond

Burnt rocks are characteristic of man-made DNA Plant kit (ABT, Russia, Barnaul) according

ecosystems, but sometimes they are formed as a to the manufacturer’s instructions. Internal

result of natural processes. The temperature may transcribed spacer rDNA region (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2)

locally rise in the thickness of the rock tip due to ampliﬁed using the PCR-primers ITS1 (5′-TCC-

oxidative processes. At the same time, due to the GTA-GGT-GAA-CCT-TGC-GG-3′) and ITS4

high concentration of sulfur, changes in the level (5′-TCC-TCC-GCT-TAT-TGA-TAT-GC-3’) and

of moisture, as well as a large amount of residual applied as a phylogenetic marker (White et al.,

coal, spontaneous combustion can occur (Querol 1990). For ampliﬁcation of the partial ribosomal

et al., 2008; Bragina, 2013). The composition and polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2)

properties of burnt rocks are variable and depend on primers 5F_Eur (5′-GAY-GAY-CGK-GAY-CAY-

the composition of the source rocks and the degree TTC-GG-3′) and 7CR_Eur (5′- CCC-ATR-GCY-

of their ﬁring (Nenakhova, 1989). External changes TGY-TTRCCC- AT-3′) were used (Houbraken &

in the tips are manifested in the reddening of the Samson, 2011). The D1/D2 region of 28S rDNA

source rocks. It should also be noted that due to the (LSU) was ampliﬁed using the PCR-primers NL-1

combustion processes in tips, pedogenesis can slow (5′-GCATATCAATAAGCGGAGGAAAAG-3′)

down or even stop (Bragina, 2013).

and NL-4 (5′- GGTCCGTGTTTCAAGACGG -3′)

O’Donnell, 1993). The agarose gel electrophoretic

method was applied to separate the DNA in the

(

Isolation, incubation and identiﬁcation

Themethodofdirectinoculationofsmallfragments samples after ampliﬁcation. Sequencing of the

of substrate was employed to isolate microfungi obtained DNA fragments was carried out by the

(Dudka et al., 1982). Fungi were cultivated on solid ABI 3500 (Thermo Fisher Scientiﬁc, USA) using

media Czapek agar (CZ) and Sabouraud agar at 45 the Sanger method. Sequences were inspected using

Table 1. Sampling locations.

Sampling

locations

Projective

coverage

Type of spoil tip

Name of mine or quarry

Coordinates

formed (exploited) spoil tip

spoil tip with burnt rock

Mine No. 1-5

78°02’57” N, 14°13’18.1” E

78°02’04” N, 14°18’08” E

67°30’18” N, 63°40’44” E

0%

Svalbard

formed (exploited) spoil tip spoil tip of the Pechora

Central Processing Plant

Komi Republic

spoil tip with burnt rock

formed (exploited) spoil tip

spoil tip with burnt rock

Komsomolskaya

67°29’11” N, 63°46’59” E

63°20’10” N, 146°37’10” E

63°17’10” N, 146°40’03” E

0%

Tal-Yuryakh

Magadan region

Tal-Yuryakh

40%

4

V. A. Iliushin & I. Y. Kirtsideli - Microfungi of coal mine in the Arctic Circle

BioEdit version 7.1.9. The obtained sequences were reSulT

submitted to the NCBI GenBank and compared

to the available sequences database by using

As a result of the study of the spoil tips of

BLAST (https://blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Blast.cgi ). coal mines of Svalbard, the Komi Republic and

The criteria were used to interpret the sequences: the Magadan region, eight cultures of microfungi

the genus and species were accepted for sequence belonging to six species that are able to grow

identities ≥ 98%; only the genus was accepted at temperatures of 45 °C and above were

between 95% and 97% (Godinho et al., 2013).

isolated (Table 2). The observed macro- and

micromorphology (Figs. 2-3 respectively) of the

obtained isolates was consistent with the micro- and

Study of growth rate depending on temperature

The growth rate of thermophilic and macromorphology of the corresponding species

thermotolerant micromycetes was studied depending (Egorova, 1986; Domsch et al., 2007; Samson et al.,

on temperature on Czapek agar (CZ) and Sabouraud 2010; Houbraken et al., 2012; Hubka et al., 2013).

medium. Cultivation was carried out in thermostats BLAST analysis of the ITS region, LSU or RPB2

and refrigerators at temperatures of 10 °C, 15 °C, showed 99-100% similarity of the isolates and

2

6

0 °C, 25 °C, 30 °C, 35 °C, 45 °C, 50 °C, 55 °C, corresponding species. Therefore, molecular and

0 °C, 62 °C, 65 °C. If necessary, micromycetes morphological data made it possible to conclude

were cultivated at intermediate temperature values. that the obtained isolates belongs to the species

Cultivation was carried out in the dark for 7-21 days Aspergillus waksmanii Hubka, S.W. Peterson,

(

depending on the strain and temperature).

Frisvad & M. Kolařík, Aspergillus spinosus Kozak,

Rasamsonia cylindrospora (G. Sm.) Houbraken

& Frisvad, Rasamsonia byssochlamydoides (Stolk

Analysis of the rock of coal mine spoil tips

Thecompositionofthesampleswascharacterized & Samson) Houbraken & Frisvad, Rasamsonia

using scanning electron microscopy and electron emersonii (Stolk) Houbraken & Frisvad, and

probe microanalysis using a desktop scanning Thermoascus aurantiacus Miehe.

electron microscope-microanalyzer TM 3000

Four species (five strains) of fungi resistant

(

HITAСHI, Japan) equipped with an OXFORD to the temperature factor were isolated from

energy dispersion microanalysis console at the the formed spoil tip of the Svalbard coal

St. Petersburg State University Microscopy and mine (unburned rock). It should be noted that

Microanalysis Resource Center, as well as X-ray thermotolerant and thermophilic micromycetes

ﬂuorescence analysis using a portable DELTA XRF were not isolated from the tips of unburned rock

analyzer (Olympus, Japan).

of the Komi Republic and the Magadan region.

Table 2. Culturable microfungi of coal mine spoil tips.

GenBank

accession

numbers

Phylogenetic

marker

Strain

Species

Habitat

OP919555

OP919563

OP889566

PP182127

OP889565

OP889574

PP216935

OP919556

OP919564

ITS

LSU

ITS

IVA-T1

Rasamsonia emersonii

formed spoil tip, Svalbard

IVA-T2

IVA-T4

IVA-T6

IVA-T7

IVA-T11

IVA-T14

IVA-T16

Aspergillus waksmanii

Rasamsonia byssochlamydoides

Aspergillus spinosus

spoil tip with burnt rock, Svalbard

formed spoil tip, Svalbard

ITS

spoil tip with burnt rock, Komi Republic

spoil tip with burnt rock, Svalbard

formed spoil tip, Svalbard

ITS

Rasamsonia cylindrospora

Thermoascus aurantiacus

Aspergillus waksmanii

ITS

RPB2

ITS

formed spoil tip, Svalbard

Aspergillus waksmanii

formed spoil tip, Svalbard

LSU

5

Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59 (4) 2024

Fig. 2. Colony of microfungi of coal mine spoil tips. A: IVA-T1 Rasamsonia emersonii. B: IVA-T2 Aspergillus

waksmanii. C: IVA-T4 Rasamsonia byssochlamydoides. D: IVA-T7 Rasamsonia cylindrospora. E: IVA-T6

Aspergillus spinosus. F: IVA-T11 Thermoascus aurantiacus.

Two isolates of Aspergillus waksmanii, IVA-T14 have not been isolated from the tips of burnt

and IVA-T16, and isolate IVA-T4 Rasamsonia rock in the Magadan region. Two isolates

byssochlamydoides belonged to thermotolerant belonged to thermotolerant species of the

species. Thus, the temperature optimum was 35- genus Aspergillus. For IVA-T2 Aspergillus

4

5 °C for these species, but almost no growth was waksmanii, the temperature optimum was 35-

observed at 50 °C. The real thermophiles included 45 °C, no growth was observed at 50 °C.

two isolates, IVA-T1 Rasamsonia emersonii IVA-T6 Aspergillus spinosus was characterized

and IVA-T11 Thermoascus aurantiacus. The by a lower temperature optimum of 30-40 °C,

former was characterized by a relatively narrow at the same time, a slight increase was observed

temperature optimum of 45-50 °C, as well as a at 50 °C. For the third species, Rasamsonia

high maximum growth temperature of 60 °C. cylindrospora (isolate IVA-T7), the optimum

On the contrary, the latter isolate exhibited a and maximum growth temperature were higher,

wide temperature optimum of 40-60 °C and an at 40-50 °C and 60 °C, respectively, which with

extremely high maximum growth temperature a small assumption, allows this species to be

of 62 °C. Figure 4 shows the growth curves of classified as thermophilic. Figure 5 shows the

isolates obtained from coal tips.

growth curves of isolates obtained from coal tips

Three thermotolerant fungi were isolated of burnt rocks.

from the tips of burnt rock of Svalbard (IVA-T2,

In this study, 87.5% of the isolates were obtained

IVA-T7) and the Komi Republic (IVA-T6). from rock samples collected from the spoil tips

Thermotolerant and thermophilic micromycetes of Svalbard, while only 12.5% originated from

6

V. A. Iliushin & I. Y. Kirtsideli - Microfungi of coal mine in the Arctic Circle

Fig. 3. Micromorphological characters of microfungi of coal mine spoil tips. A: Conidiophore of IVA-T1

Rasamsonia emersonii. B: Conidiophores of IVA-T2 Aspergillus waksmanii. C: Conidia of IVA-T4

Rasamsonia byssochlamydoides. D: Conidiophore of IVA-T7 Rasamsonia cylindrospora. E: Conidiophore of

IVA-T6 Aspergillus spinosus. F: Ascospores of IVA-T11 Thermoascus aurantiacus. Scale= 20 μm.

the Komi Republic. Notably, thermophilic and

Microphotographs and their corresponding energy

thermotolerant fungi were not isolated from the tips dispersive X-ray spectra of rocks are presented in Fig.

of the Magadan region.

6. The elemental composition is presented in Table 3.

Fig. 4. Growth curves of thermophilic and

thermotolerant micromycetes isolated from formed

Fig. 5. Growth curves of thermophilic and

thermotolerant micromycetes isolated from spoil

tips with burnt rock.

(exploited) spoil tips (unburnt rock).

7

Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59 (4) 2024

The rocks of the studied tips mainly consist of a and well-warmed soils. Some of them are pathogens

heterogeneous mixture of clastic rocks: siltstones, causing mycoses in humans; strains are isolated

mudstones, non-carbonate loams and sandstones. from clinical specimens, including blood culture,

The content of coal particles was detected in the bronchial washing and dialysis ﬂuid. Species of the

formed tips of Spitsbergen and the Komi Republic. genus Rasamsonia are also an important component

There is porcellanite in burnt rock. The most of aeromycota (Frohlich-Nowoisky et al., 2009).

common minerals were quartz and aluminosilicates

clay minerals, feldspars, micas). It should be noted the genus Thermoascus. This is a small genus

that the elemental composition turned out to be represented exclusively by thermophiles

One of the species identified belonged to

(

relatively similar in the tips (Table 3).

(Houbraken et al., 2020). Micromycetes of this

genus live in mushroom compost, peat, coal tips,

heated soils, sawdust, found in the air, as well

as in self-heating hay (Salar, 2018). The highest

temperature maximum among fungi belongs to

diScuSSion

All isolated thermotolerant and thermophilic a representative of the genus Thermoascus (T.

species from the technogenic ecosystems studied aurantiacus). So, this fungus is able to grow at

in this work belonged to three genera within 62 °C (Cooney & Emerson, 1964; Stolk, 1965;

the order Eurotiales: Aspergillus, Rasamsonia, Evans, 1971; Domsch et al., 2007; Salar, 2018).

and Thermoascus. Two species belonged to the This species is very widespread and has been

genus Rasamsonia. All species of this genus are found in Australia, Canada, Egypt, Germany,

characterized as thermotolerant and thermophilic India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands,

(Houbraken et al., 2012). Thus, representatives of Russia, South Africa, United Kingdom, and the

the genus Rasamsonia were found in coal mining United States. T. aurantiacus lives on various

sites, residential buildings, peat dumps, compost, substrates: cacao husks, chaﬀ, coal mine soils,

Fig. 6. Microphotographs (SEM) of rock and the corresponding EDS (energy dispersive X-ray spectra). A:

Spoil tip from Svalbard. B: Spoil tip with burnt rock from Svalbard. C: Formed spoil tip from Komi Republic.

D: Spoil tip with burnt rock from Komi Republic. E: Formed spoil tip from Magadan region. F: Spoil tip with

burnt rock from Magadan region. Scale= 100 μm.

8

V. A. Iliushin & I. Y. Kirtsideli - Microfungi of coal mine in the Arctic Circle

Table 3. Elemental composition of spoil tips. All data expressed as a percentage. Abbreviations= <LOD:

below the level of detail.

Formed tip

Magadan

region

Burnt rock

tip Magadan

region

Formed tip

Svalbard

Formed tip

Komi Republic

Burnt rock

tip Svalbard

Burnt rock tip

Komi Republic

Mg

Al

<0,1

0,5471

2,3972

0,1

<0,1

0,9724

6,2361

0,1886

0,4235

<0,01

<0,1

1,6947

10,1379

0,2249

<0,01

<0,1

3,3639

8,8637

0,5381

0,3724

<0,01

<0,1

1,3281

7,6233

0,225

<0,1

1,903

Si

7,6642

0,1644

1,5838

<0,01

P

S

1,867

0,1347

<0,01

Cl

<0,01

K

0,1573

0,776

0,3426

0,805

0,6473

0,3174

0,2655

<0,007

<0,003

0,0359

2,7565

<0,002

6,00E-04

<0,001

0,0015

4,00E-04

0,0054

<LOD

0,5369

1,61

0,3303

1,7305

0,3008

0,0097

0,0031

0,1531

6,2631

<0,002

0,0037

0,0016

0,0023

0,0015

0,0056

<LOD

0,5197

1,9599

0,2948

0,007

Ca

Ti

0,0714

<0,007

<0,003

<0,02

0,2431

<0,007

<0,003

0,0416

3,7076

0,0056

0,0017

<0,001

0,0015

7,00E-04

0,0037

<LOD

0,5947

0,0194

0,0053

0,0171

5,5289

<0,002

0,0018

<0,001

1,00E-03

0,0012

0,0171

<LOD

V

Cr

Mn

Fe

Co

Ni

<0,003

0,0232

2,732

1,6752

0,0022

<0,0009

<0,001

<0,0008

<0,0007

0,0036

<LOD

<0,002

1,00E-03

<0,001

0,0021

6,00E-04

0,0065

<LOD

Cu

Zn

As

Zr

Mo

Cd

Sn

Sb

W

<LOD

8,00E-04

<LOD

Pb

Bi

<LOD

5,00E-04

8,00E-04

3,00E-04

5,00E-04

0,0015

9,00E-04

Light

elements

92,4027

87,0259

83,9117

78,5271

81,8818

83,1365

heated hay, mushroom compost, peat, sawdust, are found in a wide variety of habitats, including

self-heated wood chips, soil, stored grains, tobacco. extreme ecosystems where elevated temperatures

Our isolate IVA-T11 T. aurantiacus from Svalbard are observed. Thus, fungi of the genus Aspergillus

is capable of growing at the maximum temperature live in all the above habitats where the species

recorded for fungi: 62 °C.

of the genera Thermoascus and Rasamsonia are

Four isolates within the thermotolerant found, and they have also been found in thermal

specimens found belonged to two species of the springs, landﬁlls, and bird nests. Fungi of the

genus Aspergillus (A. spinosus and A. waksmanii). genus Aspergillus are an important component

It is a widespread and numerous genus, its of the mycobiota of deserts (Sterﬂinger et al.,

representatives occupy many ecological niches and 2012; Sklenar et al., 2017). However, there are no

9

Bol. Soc. Argent. Bot. 59 (4) 2024

true thermophilic species among this genus, and including in a substrate with severely degraded

only thermotolerant ones are found in extreme conditions such as tips of burnt rock. Probably,

ecosystems (optimum < 45°C) (Kozakiewicz the presence of thermotolerant microfungi

&

Smith, 1994). Most thermotolerant species depends on the ornithogenic factor. Therefore,

belong to the Fumigati section. Thus, Aspergillus the largest numbers of isolates were found in

fumigatus is one of the most common species in the the tips on Svalbard and not a single one in the

rock of coal dumps in the USA, both on the surface Magadan region. All the microfungi isolated in

of heated areas of tips and at depths up to 30 cm this work were identiﬁed as belonging to the

(

Tansey & Brook, 1978). All the thermotolerant order Eurotiales. This discovery underscores

Aspergillus species found in this study belonged the presence of thermotolerant and thermophilic

to the Fumigati section. One of these species fungi in the challenging environment of the Arctic

was A. sibiricus, which was isolated from a coal Circle.

mine in Altai (Russia) (Iliushin, 2022). It should

also be noted that many species of the Fumigati

section can be tolerant of other factors besides auThorS conTribuTionS

high temperature. In particular, A. fumigatus and

A. sibiricus are able to grow at low pH values (2-3)

IYK was involved in sampling, VAI isolated

and are acid tolerant species. Tolerance to various and identiﬁed micromycetes. The two authors were

environmental factors (elevated temperatures and involved in the writing of the manuscript.

low pH of the medium) allows micromycetes to

exist in such an extreme ecosystem as a burning

coal quarry and spoil tips with burnt rocks.

Previous studies have shown that coal mine

spoil tips are characterized by low species diversity

acKnowledgemenTS

This study was carried out as part of the state

(Khabibullina et al., 2015; Iliushin & Kirtsideli, assignment according to the thematic plan of

2

021; Iliushin et al., 2022a, b). At the same time, the Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy

there is not always a clear pattern of an increase of Sciences (theme No. 124013100829-3). The

in the number of species to southern latitudes. research was done using equipment of The Core

Probably, the number of species is inﬂuenced by Facilities Center “Cell and Molecular Technologies

the factor of the area of disturbed territories. The in Plant Science” at the Komarov Botanical Institute

main source of the introduction of propagules into RAS (St.-Petersburg, Russia) and the St. Petersburg

technogenic ecosystems is aeromycota (Kirtsideli State University Microscopy and Microanalysis

et al., 2011). Consequently, the larger the area Resource Center.

disturbed and the farther the tip is located from

natural communities, the less likely it is that viable

propagules will be picked up by the air ﬂow and bibliograPhy

transferred to technogenic ecosystems. On the other

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svojstva. Nauk. dumka, Kiev. (In Russ.).

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2

020; Sacramento et al., 2023). In particular, on

Spitsbergen, where there are many bird colonies,

one of the main ones will be the ornithogenic factor.

Another important condition is the composition of

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rock had fewer species.

The data obtained indicate the existence of

thermophilic and thermotolerant microfungi

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