Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets

This study investigates airborne bacterial and fungal communities in south-eastern Italy and Albania using advanced DNA-based techniques and compositional data analysis (CoDa). We assess the significance of airborne microbial communities, detailing our methodologies for site selection, sample collec...

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Main Authors: Salvatore Romano, Lekë Pepkolaj, Mattia Fragola, Dalila Peccarrisi, Jostina Dhimitri, Alessandro Buccolieri, Adelfia Talà, Pietro Alifano, Gianluca Quarta, Lucio Calcagnile
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-09-01
Series:Atmosphere
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/10/1155
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author Salvatore Romano
Lekë Pepkolaj
Mattia Fragola
Dalila Peccarrisi
Jostina Dhimitri
Alessandro Buccolieri
Adelfia Talà
Pietro Alifano
Gianluca Quarta
Lucio Calcagnile
author_facet Salvatore Romano
Lekë Pepkolaj
Mattia Fragola
Dalila Peccarrisi
Jostina Dhimitri
Alessandro Buccolieri
Adelfia Talà
Pietro Alifano
Gianluca Quarta
Lucio Calcagnile
author_sort Salvatore Romano
collection DOAJ
description This study investigates airborne bacterial and fungal communities in south-eastern Italy and Albania using advanced DNA-based techniques and compositional data analysis (CoDa). We assess the significance of airborne microbial communities, detailing our methodologies for site selection, sample collection, DNA extraction, and data analysis. Our results reveal distinct differences in microbial composition between the two regions, driven by local environmental factors. Specifically, Albanian samples showed higher abundances of bacterial species such as <i>Rubellimicrobium roseum</i> and <i>Sphingomonas cynarae</i>, while Italian samples were characterized by a prevalence of <i>Truepera radiovictrix</i> and <i>Rubrobacter radiotolerans</i>. In terms of fungi, Albanian sites exhibited greater abundance of <i>Mycosphaerella tassiana</i>, <i>Aureobasidium pullulans</i>, and <i>Ascochyta herbicola</i>. Aitchison distance-based dendrograms and principal component analysis (PCA) biplots, utilizing singular value decomposition, clearly delineated a geographical separation of microbial communities, underscoring the impact of regional atmospheric conditions on microbial composition. In the discussion, we interpret these findings in the context of regional environmental factors, highlighting their implications for understanding regional differences in airborne microbial communities. The conclusion emphasizes the effectiveness of advanced DNA techniques and CoDa in environmental microbiology, offering insights into how local environmental conditions shape microbial communities and suggesting directions for future research and public health considerations.
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spelling doaj-art-de85c385cc194edbbc40f0791eb817442025-08-20T02:11:08ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332024-09-011510115510.3390/atmos15101155Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing DatasetsSalvatore Romano0Lekë Pepkolaj1Mattia Fragola2Dalila Peccarrisi3Jostina Dhimitri4Alessandro Buccolieri5Adelfia Talà6Pietro Alifano7Gianluca Quarta8Lucio Calcagnile9CEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyDepartment of Computer Science, Faculty of Computer Science and IT, Metropolitan Tirana University, Rruga Sotir Kolea, 1001 Tirana, AlbaniaCEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyCEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyDepartment of Geography, Faculty of History and Philology, University of Tirana, Rruga e Elbasanit, 1001 Tirana, AlbaniaCEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, ItalyDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies, University of Salento, Via Monteroni, 73100 Lecce, ItalyCEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyCEDAD-Centre of Applied Physics, Dating and Diagnostics, Department of Mathematics and Physics “Ennio de Giorgi”, University of Salento, Via per Arnesano, 73100 Lecce, ItalyThis study investigates airborne bacterial and fungal communities in south-eastern Italy and Albania using advanced DNA-based techniques and compositional data analysis (CoDa). We assess the significance of airborne microbial communities, detailing our methodologies for site selection, sample collection, DNA extraction, and data analysis. Our results reveal distinct differences in microbial composition between the two regions, driven by local environmental factors. Specifically, Albanian samples showed higher abundances of bacterial species such as <i>Rubellimicrobium roseum</i> and <i>Sphingomonas cynarae</i>, while Italian samples were characterized by a prevalence of <i>Truepera radiovictrix</i> and <i>Rubrobacter radiotolerans</i>. In terms of fungi, Albanian sites exhibited greater abundance of <i>Mycosphaerella tassiana</i>, <i>Aureobasidium pullulans</i>, and <i>Ascochyta herbicola</i>. Aitchison distance-based dendrograms and principal component analysis (PCA) biplots, utilizing singular value decomposition, clearly delineated a geographical separation of microbial communities, underscoring the impact of regional atmospheric conditions on microbial composition. In the discussion, we interpret these findings in the context of regional environmental factors, highlighting their implications for understanding regional differences in airborne microbial communities. The conclusion emphasizes the effectiveness of advanced DNA techniques and CoDa in environmental microbiology, offering insights into how local environmental conditions shape microbial communities and suggesting directions for future research and public health considerations.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/10/1155airborne microbiomebioaerosolmetagenomics16S rRNA sequencingITS rRNA sequencingcompositional data analysis
spellingShingle Salvatore Romano
Lekë Pepkolaj
Mattia Fragola
Dalila Peccarrisi
Jostina Dhimitri
Alessandro Buccolieri
Adelfia Talà
Pietro Alifano
Gianluca Quarta
Lucio Calcagnile
Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
Atmosphere
airborne microbiome
bioaerosol
metagenomics
16S rRNA sequencing
ITS rRNA sequencing
compositional data analysis
title Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
title_full Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
title_fullStr Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
title_full_unstemmed Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
title_short Comparative Analysis of Airborne Bacterial and Fungal Communities in South-Eastern Italy and in Albania Using the Compositional Analysis of 16S and ITS rRNA Gene Sequencing Datasets
title_sort comparative analysis of airborne bacterial and fungal communities in south eastern italy and in albania using the compositional analysis of 16s and its rrna gene sequencing datasets
topic airborne microbiome
bioaerosol
metagenomics
16S rRNA sequencing
ITS rRNA sequencing
compositional data analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/15/10/1155
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