Genetic diversity of coal mine spoil by metagenomes using random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker

Abstract

Pit-scarred-landscape with huge heaps of coal mine spoil is the usual scenario of an open cast coal mine area. To assess the status of microbial ecosystem, genetic characterization among 18 metagenomes, sampled within six different age series coal mine spoil overburdens, were analyzed using RAPD. Among studied populations, the genetic diversity was high, having 66.21% polymorphic bands, and it showed Shannon’s information index value 0.3414. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that 90% of the genetic diversity among populations was attributed to different age series overburdens, while 10% was attributed to different habitats. The existence of genetic variation, as revealed by RAPD, was coupled with bacterial colony forming units (CFUs; r =0.945), and 81.49% variability in CFU can be explained due to genetic diversity (r = 0.902). Further, the relationship between polymorphic loci and Nei’s genetic diversity index (H) was observed to be significant (r =0.876), indicating gradual enrichment in the existing genetic composition due to reclamation process with the increase in age, and mine spoil gradually starts supporting greater genetic diversity.