Bacteria isolated from limestone caves

The culturable diversity of bacteria isolated from four carbonate limestone caves, Lechuguilla, Spider, Carlsbad Cavern, and Backcountry, was examined (Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico, USA). Bacterial cytological profiling (BCP) was used to characterize the bioactivity of the natural products biosynthesized by cave isolates. Whole genome sequencing of nine isolates was used to further characterize their biosynthetic arsenal via mining for secondary metabolic gene clusters. This study provides a new source of microbes that produce antibacterial compounds that can be mined further for the discovery of its full biosynthetic potential. This study further demonstrates the applicability of BCP to the identification of the mechanisms of action (MOA) of antibacterial natural products, and validates caves as an excellent hunting ground for antibiotic discovery as they harbor diverse bacteria capable of producing antibacterial compounds with diverse targets.