In a recent biodiversity research project at the Danxia Mountain National Park, led by Professor Wenjun Li and his team of microbiologists from Sun Yat-sen University, a novel bacterial genus-level species was discovered in the Danxia Mountain region. This remarkable discovery has been officially named the " Yellow Danxia Rod Bacterium", marking the 41st new species to be found and named within the Danxia Mountain range.

This newfound genus was officially published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology on October 4, 2023. The identification of the Yellow Danxia Rod Bacterium signifies an expansion of genetic resources and promises to further advance the development and utilization of microbial resources.

The Danxia Mountain in Guangdong, known for its unique Danxia landforms, is nestled within a 300-square-kilometer basin teeming with majestic peak clusters and distinctive rock formations. These extraordinary geological features give rise to what is referred to as "ecological islands" and the "ecological heat island" effect, endowing this subtropical evergreen forested mountain region with a rich tropical component. Consequently, Danxia Mountain boasts a distinctive habitat and ecological community. So far, researchers have identified 40 new species of animals, plants, and fungi here, making it an area of high ecological significance.

The Biodiversity Research Project in Guangdong's Danxia Mountain has expanded its scope to include microbial diversity studies alongside previous research activities. Notably, this is the first time that microbial diversity has been systematically explored in a candidate national park area in China. This initiative is expected to introduce new concepts for species diversity preservation within national parks and natural reserves, thus broadening the field of biological resource conservation.

The microbial diversity investigation in this project is primarily undertaken by Professor Wenjun Li's team at Sun Yat-sen University. The team conducted numerous field surveys and soil sample collections in various regions and habitats of Danxia Mountain. They also embarked on extensive efforts to isolate, culture, identify, and preserve a large number of microbial strains. Currently, they have cultivated and preserved more than 2,000 bacterial strains, with over 400 of them potentially being new species. This underscores the rich microbial resources that Danxia Mountain's unique landforms have nurtured and provides further evidence of its distinctive ecological community, warranting more protection, exploration, and development.

The discovery of the Yellow Danxia Rod Bacterium in the forest soil of Danxia Mountain offers potential benefits to plants by helping their root systems adapt better to the acidic soil developed on the sandstone unique to the Danxia landform. It effectively collects nitrogen elements from the environment, aiding plants in adapting to the high-temperature and arid mountainous environment of the Danxia region. Furthermore, the investigation revealed microbial communities that can thrive in various extreme environments. Once identified and cultured, these microbes can become valuable assets in ecological restoration efforts, paving the way for innovative approaches to ecosystem and environmental protection.

在韶关丹霞山发现的细菌新属——黄色丹霞杆菌正式发表

近日，在中山大学丹霞山国家公园生物多样性科考项目中，由李文均教授带领的微生物调查组团队在丹霞山调查发现了首例细菌新属级别物种，并命名为黄色丹霞杆菌，这也是在丹霞山发现和命名的第41个新物种。

该新属已于2023年10月4日正式发表于国际专业学术期刊《国际系统与进化微生物学杂志》。黄色丹霞杆菌的发现意味着新遗传资源的增加，将进一步推动微生物资源开发利用。

广东丹霞山是丹霞地貌命名地，方圆约300平方公里的丹霞盆地中密集地分布着雄壮的峰丛—峰林丹霞地貌景观，特殊的地貌形成了“生态孤岛”和“生态热岛”效应，赋予了这片亚热带常绿阔叶林山地丰富的热带成分，也造就了丹霞山独特的生境和生态区系。目前，生物学家在这里已经发现了40个动物、植物和菌物的新物种，生态价值备受瞩目。

广东丹霞山生物多样性科考项目在以往科考的基础上，首次加入了微生物多样性科考，更加全面地对丹霞山的生物多样性进行了深入调查。据介绍，这也是国内首次对国家公园候选地区域开展微生物多样性系统调查，将会为国家公园和自然保护地系统物种多样性保护带来新理念，拓展生物资源保护的领域。

项目中微生物多样性调查主要由中山大学李文均教授团队担纲。该团队前期针对广东丹霞山的不同区域和不同生境进行了多次的实地考察和土壤样品采集工作，并开展了大规模的微生物分离培养、鉴定和保藏工作，目前分离培养和保藏了可培养细菌菌株资源2000余株，超过400株为潜在新物种。这表明了广东丹霞山得天独厚的丹霞地貌孕育了非常丰富的微生物资源，为丹霞区系的存在提供了更多证据，值得进一步去保护、探索和开发。

此次在丹霞山森林土壤中发现的黄色丹霞杆菌，可以帮助植物的根系更好地适应丹霞特有的砂岩上发育的酸性土壤，有效收集环境中的氮元素，帮助植物适应丹霞地貌区高温干旱的山地环境。据了解，调查中还发现了能够适应各种极端环境的微生物菌群，经过鉴定和培养，可以成为生态修复的生力军，为生态系统和生态环境保护带来全新路径。

文、图丨记者 李泽宇 通讯员 李文均 连文慧
翻译丨刘佳慧
责编丨古司祺
校对丨马曼婷