Structure of microbial communities of the artificial salt constructions of the Perm region

The diversity of microbial communities the artificial salt constructions (ASC) located in the medical-preventive and sanatorium institutions of the Perm region was studied. It was found that the surfaces of the abiotic salt of all ASC were contaminated with microorganisms, and a significant difference was found between the constructions of sylvinite (86.5% of positive samples) and halite (47.4%). The number of viable bacteria, as well as staphylococci, were also higher in sylvinite constructions than in halite ones. Based on bacteriological research and analysis of the 16S rRNA gene nucleotide sequences, the isolated staphylococcus strains belong to the following species: Staphylococcus epidermidis - 42.3% (n=11), S. aureus and S. saprophyticus - 19.2% (n=5), S. simulans - 7.7% (n=2) and one strain of S. cohnii urealyticum, S. hominis, S. warneri - 3.8%. The species composition of microbiocenoses formed on surfaces determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry included representatives of 18 genera belonging to the three main phylums: Actinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Actinobacteria (Actinomyces, Corynebacterium, Nocardia, Propionibacterium, Rhodococcus, etc.) were dominant in both groups ASC. Among Firmicutes, representatives of the genus Clostridium predominated in sylvinite ASC - 63.8% of the total number of bacteria, while in halite they were half as many - 32.1%. The content of coccal microbiota, in contrast, in halite constructions was almost 3 times higher than in sylvinite. Identified quantitative and qualitative indicators of the microbiota of the ASC complement the understanding of the constructions of microbial communities under conditions of high salt load and anthropogenic impact.