TY - JOUR A1 - Gentile, Luca T1 - Assessment of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle Ecotoxicity on Regeneration and Homeostasis in the Replacement Model System Schmidtea mediterranea JF - Altex N2 - Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONs) are used in a number of applications from food to cosmetics and from medical applications to magnetic storage. In spite of the 550 tons produced each year in Europe alone, no effective dose limit recommendations are established and the overall risks connected to IONs are still debated. The incorporation of IONs in daily life raises a concern about their effects on the environment, on living organisms, and on human health. In this study, we used freshwater planarians to assess the nanoecotoxicity of IONs. Planarians are free-living invertebrates known for their astonishing regenerative ability. Because of their sensitivity to toxicants, they are often used to determine the effects of toxic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic environmental compounds with an approach in line with the 3Rs (Reduce, Refine, Replace) principle. Planarians were exposed to IONs at concentrations up to 1 mg/ml and their effects were evaluated at the behavioral, morphofunctional, and molecular levels, with a special emphasis on the regeneration process. Our results indicate that IONs did not affect the stem cell population dynamics, nor did they induce substantial changes in either homeostatic or regenerating planarians. As positive controls, gold nanoparticles coated with the pro-apoptotic anti-cancer drug hexadecylmethylammonium bromide and highly concentrated polystyrene nanoparticles were used; these all elicited toxic effects. Therefore, we conclude that IONs at environmental concen- trations are safe for planarians, and that the planarian is a powerful model system that can replace vertebrate animal models in nanoecotoxicology research and for nanoecotoxicology studies. KW - 3R strategy KW - Pluripotency-based regeneration freshwater KW - Ecotoxicity KW - Reactive oxygen species Schmidtea mediterranea Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.1902061 IS - 36(4)/2019 SP - 583 EP - 596 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren A1 - Stahl, Lea Franziska A1 - Edo, Manon A1 - Nonnenmacher, Timon A1 - Reif, Daniela A1 - Rex, Friederike A1 - Wegmann-Herr, Pascal A1 - Kortekamp, Andreas A1 - Fischer-Schuch, Jochen A1 - Thines, Eckhard T1 - Ozonized Oleic Acid as a New Viticultural Treatment? Study of the Effect of LIQUENSO® Oxygenate on the Carpoplane Microbial Community and Wine Microorganisms Combining Metabarcoding and In Vitro Assays N2 - In this study, an amplicon metagenomic approach was used to determine the effect of repeated treatments with ozonized oleic acid on the microbial community of grapevine carpoplane. Differences in community composition of treated vineyards were compared to non-treated and conventionally treated samples regarding the prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiome at two developmental stages (BBCH 83, BBCH 87). The results showed effects both on occurrence and on abundance of microorganisms and the community assembly. Wine-relevant genera such as Acetobacter and members of the former genus Lactobacillus could be identified as part of the natural microbiota. The impact of the new viticultural treatment on these organisms was assessed in liquid culture-based microtiter assays. Therefore, we investigated an array of two acetic acid bacteria (AAB), four lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and nine saccharomyces and non-saccharomyces yeasts. Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Pediococcus sp. and Acetobacter aceti revealed the highest sensitivities against ozonized oleic acid (LIQUENSO® Oxygenat). Culture growth of these organisms was significantly reduced at an ozonide concentration of 0.25% (v/v), which corresponded to a quarter of the concentration used in the vineyard. The metabarcoding approach in combination with complementary in vitro assays allow new insights into treatment effects on the community and species scale. KW - ozonized oleic acid KW - ozonide KW - Oxygenate KW - grape carpoplane microbial community KW - biodiversity KW - 16S sequencing KW - ITS sequencing; KW - metabarcoding KW - LIQUENSO® Oxygenat Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies3030023 VL - 2022 IS - 3 SP - 292 EP - 307 PB - ecologies CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren A1 - Backmann, Louis A1 - Schmidtmann, Katharina A1 - Wegmann-Herr, Pascal A1 - Jürgens, Andreas T1 - Molecular Biological Methods to Assess Different Botrytis cinerea Strains on Grapes N2 - Botrytis cinerea is a well-known pathogen that can be challenging to control in crops, such as wine grapes. To adapt to the increasing problems of climate change and strain resistance, it is important to find new methods to detect Botrytis cinerea and differentiate strains. These methods include strain differentiation and classification by simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and early detection of the fungus by qPCR. Various strains were analysed using SSR markers and either agarose gel electrophoresis or capillary sequencing via PCR. A sensitive qPCR method was refined to achieve an early detection method for the pathogen. The results demonstrate promising ways to distinguish between strains using both agarose gel electrophoresis and capillary sequencing as well as to detect infection before it becomes visible on grapes. This can be used to further understand and analyse different Botrytis cinerea strain characteristics such as laccase activity, regional or annual effects. The early detection method can be used to better prepare growers for an impending infection so that targeted efforts can be made. KW - Botrytis cinerea; KW - strain differentiation KW - simple sequence repeat markers KW - qPCR KW - early detection Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/microbiolres15020037 VL - 2024 IS - 2 SP - 567 EP - 581 PB - microbiology research CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Harion, Felix A1 - Wu, Shujie A1 - Nürnberg, Dennis J. A1 - Bellamoli, Francesco A1 - Antonio, Guillen A1 - Leira, Manuel T1 - Dark blue-green: Cave-inhabiting cyanobacteria as a model for astrobiology N2 - Subterranean environments on Earth serve as an analog for the study of microbes on other planets, which has become an active area of research. Although it might sound contradictory that photosynthetic cyanobacteria thrive in extreme low light environments, they are frequent inhabitants of caves on Earth. Throughout the phylum these cyanobacteria have developed unique adaptations that cannot only be used for biotechnological processes but also have implications for astrobiology. They can, for example, both accommodate for the low light conditions by producing specific pigments that allow photosynthesis in near-infrared (IR) radiation/far-red light, and they can synthesize bioplastic compounds and calcium carbonate sheaths which represent valuable resources during human colonization of other planets or rock bodies. This article will highlight the potential benefits of cave-inhabiting cyanobacteria and will present a suitable bioreactor technique for the utilization of these special microbes during future space missions. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2023.1107371 VL - 2023 PB - Frontiers CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Paper, Michael A1 - Koch, Max A1 - Nilges, Tom A1 - Brück, Thomas B. T1 - Stripped: contribution of cyanobacterial extracellular polymeric substances to the adsorption of rare earth elements from aqueous solutions N2 - The transformation of modern industries towards enhanced sustainability is facilitated by green technologies that rely extensively on rare earth elements (REEs) such as cerium (Ce), neodymium (Nd), terbium (Tb), and lanthanum (La). The occurrence of productive mining sites, e.g., is limited, and production is often costly and environmentally harmful. As a consequence of increased utilization, REEs enter our ecosystem as industrial process water or wastewater and become highly diluted. Once diluted, they can hardly be recovered by conventional techniques, but using cyanobacterial biomass in a biosorption-based process is a promising eco-friendly approach. Cyanobacteria can produce extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that show high affinity to metal cations. However, the adsorption of REEs by EPS has not been part of extensive research. Thus, we evaluated the role of EPS in the biosorption of Ce, Nd, Tb, and La for three terrestrial, heterocystous cyanobacterial strains. We cultivated them under N-limited and non-limited conditions and extracted their EPS for compositional analyses. Subsequently, we investigated the metal uptake of a) the extracted EPS, b) the biomass extracted from EPS, and c) the intact biomass with EPS by comparing the amount of sorbed REEs. Maximum adsorption capacities for the tested REEs of extracted EPS were 123.9–138.2 mg g−1 for Komarekiella sp. 89.12, 133.1–137.4 mg g−1 for Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03, and 103.5–129.3 mg g−1 for Nostoc sp. 20.02. A comparison of extracted biomass with intact biomass showed that 16% (Komarekiella sp. 89.12), 28% (Desmonostoc muscorum 90.03), and 41% (Nostoc sp. 20.02) of REE adsorption was due to the biosorption of the extracellular EPS. The glucose- rich EPS (15%–43% relative concentration) of all three strains grown under nitrogen-limited conditions showed significantly higher biosorption rates for all REEs. We also found a significantly higher maximum adsorption capacity of all REEs for the extracted EPS compared to cells without EPS and untreated biomass, highlighting the important role of the EPS as a binding site for REEs in the biosorption process. EPS from cyanobacteria could thus be used as efficient biosorbents in future applications for REE recycling, e.g., industrial process water and wastewater streams. KW - extracellular polymeric substances KW - polysaccharides KW - Komarekiella KW - Nostoc KW - Desmonostoc KW - biosorption Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2023.1299349 VL - 2023 PB - Frontiers CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scharfenberger-Schmeer, Maren A1 - Backmann, Louis A1 - Umberath, Kim Marie A1 - Wegmann-Herr, Pascal A1 - Weber, Fabian A1 - Jürgens, Andreas T1 - Putting Laccase Gene Differences on Genomic Level into Context: An Analysis of Botrytis cinerea Strains from Grapes N2 - One of the most important crop pathogens is Botrytis cinerea. It overcomes plant defenses using laccase, an enzyme which is frequently researched. Yet the differences between strains regarding their laccase activity is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to analyze laccase genes in the context of the regionality, vintage, and laccase activity of the strains. Eight strains were analyzed using whole genome sequencing, and the laccase activity was assessed. The strains were differentiated by SSR-PCR. We looked at all 14 known laccase genome regions as well as the promoter and terminator regions using variant metrics and phylogenetic trees. The laccase genes seem to be correlated with the regionality of the strains rather than the laccase activity, which provides new understanding to the study of pathogen adaption in specific environments. Some of the laccase gene regions showed little to no evolutionary change, while other regions showed a great variety of changes. This research highlights taking different laccase gene regions into context. We provide fundamental information for further research. Further studies, especially on gene expression, could provide insightful information regarding the potential of pathogen infection. KW - Strain comparison KW - Botrytis cinerea KW - Laccase activity KW - Laccase genes Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms13030483 VL - 2025 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Sommer, Veronika A1 - Karsten, Ulf A1 - Lakatos, Michael T1 - Salty Twins: Salt-Tolerance of Terrestrial Cyanocohniella Strains (Cyanobacteria) and Description of C. rudolphia sp. nov. Point towards a Marine Origin of the Genus and Terrestrial Long Distance Dispersal Patterns N2 - The ability to adapt to wide ranges of environmental conditions coupled with their long evolution has allowed cyanobacteria to colonize almost every habitat on Earth. Modern taxonomy tries to track not only this diversification process but also to assign individual cyanobacteria to specific niches. It was our aim to work out a potential niche concept for the genus Cyanocohniella in terms of salt tolerance. We used a strain based on the description of C. rudolphia sp. nov. isolated from a potash tailing pile (Germany) and for comparison C. crotaloides that was isolated from sandy beaches (The Netherlands). The taxonomic position of C. rudolphia sp. nov. was evaluated by phylogenetic analysis and morphological descriptions of its life cycle. Salt tolerance of C. rudolphia sp. nov. and C. crotaloides was monitored with cultivation assays in liquid medium and on sand under salt concentrations ranging from 0% to 12% (1500 mM) NaCl. Optimum growth conditions were detected for both strains at 4% (500 mM) NaCl based on morpho-anatomical and physiological criteria such as photosynthetic yield by chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements. Taking into consideration that all known strains of this genus colonize salty habitats supports our assumption that the genus might have a marine origin but also expands colonization to salty terrestrial habitats. This aspect is further discussed, including the ecological and biotechnological relevance of the data presented. KW - Akinete KW - Schmiermonnikoog KW - Potash tailings piles KW - Biocrusts KW - Pulse amplitude modulation Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050968 VL - 2022 PB - MDPI CY - Basel ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Lehnert, Lukas W. A1 - Bendix, Jörg A1 - Lentendu, Guillaume A1 - Grube, Martin A1 - Alfaro, Fernando D. A1 - del Rio, Camilo A1 - Alvarado, José Luis Gutiérrez A1 - van den Brink, Liesbeth T1 - The grit crust: A poly-extremotolerant microbial community from the Atacama Desert as a model for astrobiology N2 - The grit crust is a recently discovered, novel type of biocrust made of prokaryotic cyanobacteria, eukaryotic green algae, fungi, lichens and other microbes that grow around and within granitoid stone pebbles of about 6 mm diameter in the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert, Chile. The microbial community is very well adapted towards the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert, such as the highest irradiation of the planet, strong temperature amplitudes and steep wet-dry cycles. It also has several other striking features making this biocrust unique compared to biocrusts known from other arid biomes on Earth. It has already been shown that the grit crust mediates various bio-weathering activities in its natural habitat. These activities prime soil for higher organisms in a way that can be envisioned as a proxy for general processes shaping even extra-terrestrial landscapes. This mini-review highlights the potential of the grit crust as a model for astrobiology in terms of extra-terrestrial microbial colonization and biotechnological applications that support human colonization of planets. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fspas.2022.1052278 VL - 2022 PB - Frontiers CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Baumann, Karen A1 - Emrich, Dina A1 - Springer, Armin A1 - Felde, Vincent J.M.N.L. A1 - Dultz, Stefan A1 - Baum, Christel A1 - Frank, Marcus A1 - Büdel, Burkhard A1 - Leinweber, Peter T1 - Lichens Bite the Dust – A Bioweathering Scenario in the Atacama Desert JF - iScience N2 - Bioweathering mediated by microorganisms plays a significant role in biogeo-chemical cycles on global scales over geological timescales. Single processes induced by specific taxa have been described but could rarely be demonstrated for complex communities that dominate whole landscapes. The recently discovered grit crust of the coastal Atacama Desert, which is a transitional community between a cryptogamic ground cover and a rock-bound lithic assemblage, offers the unique chance to elucidate various bioweathering processes that occur simultaneously. Here, we present a bioweathering scenario of this biocenosis including processes such as penetration of the lithomatrix, microbial responses to wet-dry cycles, alkalinolysis, enzyme activity, and mineral re-localization. Frequently occurring fog, for example, led to a volume increase of microorganisms and the lithomatrix. This, together with pH shifts and dust accumulation, consequently results in biophysical breakdown and the formation of a terrestrial protopedon, an initial stage of pedogenesis fueled by the grit crust. KW - Earth sciences KW - Geomicrobiology KW - Earth-Surface Processes KW - Weathering KW - Biogeoscience Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2020.101647 SN - 2589-0042 VL - 23 IS - 11 SP - 1 EP - 29 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - D’Agostino, Paul M. A1 - Büdel, Burkhard A1 - Lakatos, Michael T1 - Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov., the Right Fischerella ambigua 108b: Half a Decade of Research on Taxonomy and Bioactive Compounds in New Light JF - Microorganisms N2 - Since 1965 a cyanobacterial strain termed ‘Fischerella ambigua 108b’ was the object of several studies investigating its potential as a resource for new bioactive compounds in several European institutes. Over decades these investigations uncovered several unique small molecules and their respective biosynthetic pathways, including the polychlorinated triphenyls of the ambigol family and the tjipanazoles. However, the true taxonomic character of the producing strain remained concealed until now. Applying a polyphasic approach considering the phylogenetic position based on the 16S rRNA and the protein coding gene rbcLX, secondary structures and morphological features, we present the strain ‘Fischerella ambigua 108b’ as Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28. Although there is the type species (holotype) S. sinense C.-C. Jao 1944 there is no authentic living strain or material for genetic analyses for the genus Symphyonema available. Thus we suggest and provide an epitypification of S. bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28 as a valid reference for the genus Symphyonema. Its affiliation to the family Symphyonemataceae sheds not only new light on this rare taxon but also on the classes of bioactive metabolites of these heterocytous and true-branching cyanobacteria which we report here. We show conclusively that the literature on the isolation of bioactive products from this organism provides further support for a clear distinction between the secondary metabolism of Symphyonema bifilamentata sp. nov. 97.28 compared to related and other taxa, pointing to the assignment of this organism into a separate genus. KW - Symphyonema KW - true-branching KW - heterocytes KW - ambigol KW - polyphasic approach KW - Fischerella Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040745 SN - 2076-2607 VL - 9 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Brand, Rebekah A1 - Briegel-Williams, Laura A1 - Werner, Lina A1 - Jost, Emily A1 - Lentendu, Guillaume A1 - Singer, David A1 - Athavale, Rujuta A1 - Nürnberg, Dennis J. A1 - Alfaro, Fernando D. A1 - Büdel, Burkhard T1 - The symbiotic alga Trebouxia fuels a coherent soil ecosystem on the landscape scale in the Atacama Desert N2 - Biocrusts represent associations of lichens, green algae, cyanobacteria, fungi and other microorganisms, colonizing soils in varying proportions of principally arid biomes. The so‑called grit crust represents a recently discovered type of biocrust situated in the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert (Chile) made of microorganisms growing on and in granitoid pebbles, resulting in a checkerboard pattern visible to the naked eye on the landscape scale. This specific microbiome fulfills a broad range of ecosystem services, all probably driven by fog and dew‑induced photosyn‑ thetic activity of mainly micro‑lichens. To understand its biodiversity and impact, we applied a polyphasic approach on the phototrophic microbiome of this biocrust, combining isolation and characterization of the lichen photobionts, multi‑gene phylogeny of the photobionts and mycobionts based on a direct sequencing and microphotography approach, metabarcoding and determination of chlorophylla+b contents. Metabarcoding showed that yet unde‑ scribed lichens within the Caliciaceae dominated the biocrust together with Trebouxia as the most abundant eukary‑ ote in all plots. Together with high mean chlorophylla+b contents exceeding 410 mg m−2 , this distinguished the sym‑ biotic algae Trebouxia as the main driver of the grit crust ecosystem. The trebouxioid photobionts could be assigned to the I (T. impressa/gelatinosa) and A (T. arboricola) clades and represented several lineages containing five potential species candidates, which were identified based on the unique phylogenetic position, morphological features, and developmental cycles of the corresponding isolates. These results designate the grit crust as the only known coherent soil layer with significant landscape covering impact of at least 440 km 2 , predominantly ruled by a single symbiotic algal genus. KW - Lichens KW - Mycobionts KW - Photobionts KW - Caliciaceae KW - Green algae Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-024-00601-5 VL - 2024 PB - BioMed Central CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Briegel-Williams, Laura A1 - Dultz, Stefan A1 - Neff, Carina A1 - Heibrock, Gunnar A1 - Monger, Curtis A1 - Pietrasiak, Nicole A1 - Keller, Lena A1 - Hale, Julia A1 - Friedek, Jan A1 - Schmidt, Timo A1 - Guggenberger, Georg T1 - Hard shell, soft blue-green core: Ecology, processes, and modern applications of calcification in terrestrial cyanobacteria N2 - Cyanobacteria are the oldest photoautotrophic lineage that release oxygen during photosynthesis, an ability that possibly evolved as far as 3.5 billion years ago and changed the Earth’s environment—both in water and on land. Linked to the mechanism of carbon accumulation by cyanobacteria during photosynthesis are their calcifying properties, a process of biologically mediated mineralization of CO 2 by precipitation with calcium to CaCO 3. In recent decades, scientific research has mainly focused on calcifying cyanobacteria from aquatic habitats, while their terrestrial relatives have been neglected. This review not only presents the ecology of terrestrial calcifying cyanobacteria in caves and biocrusts but also discusses recent biotechnological applications, such as the production of living building materials through microbial-induced carbonate precipitation for structural engineering, which has the potential to open a new and efficient pathway for mitigating climate change, e.g., as carbon capture and storage technology. KW - Geochemistry KW - Biogeochemistry KW - Ecology KW - Microbiology Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.111280 VL - 2024 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Briegel-Williams, Laura A1 - Büdel, Burkhard A1 - Schultz, Matthias A1 - Nürnberg, Dennis J. A1 - Grube, Martin A1 - D'Agostino, Paul M. A1 - Kaštovský, Jan A1 - Mares, Jan A1 - Lorenz, Maike A1 - Gil Gonzáles, Manuel Luis A1 - Dal Forno, Manuela A1 - Westberg, Martin A1 - Chrismas, Nathan A1 - Pietrasiak, Nicole A1 - Whelan, Paul A1 - Dvořák, Petr A1 - Košuthová, Alica A1 - Gkelis, Spyros A1 - Bauersachs, Thorsten A1 - Schiefelbein, Ulf A1 - Phi Giao, Võ Thị T1 - The underestimated fraction: diversity, challenges and novel insights into unicellular cyanobionts of lichens N2 - Lichens are remarkable and classic examples of symbiotic organisms that have fascinated scientists for centuries. Yet, it has only been for a couple of decades that significant advances have focused on the diversity of their green algal and/or cyanobacterial photobionts. Cyanolichens, which contain cyanobacteria as their photosynthetic partner, include up to 10% of all known lichens and, as such, studies on their cyanobionts are much rarer compared to their green algal counterparts. For the unicellular cyanobionts, i.e. cyanobacteria that do not form filaments, these studies are even scarcer. Nonetheless, these currently include at least 10 different genera in the cosmopolitan lichen order Lichinales. An international consortium (International Network of CyanoBionts; INCb) will tackle this lack of knowledge. In this article, we discuss the status of current unicellular cyanobiont research, compare the taxonomic resolution of photobionts from cyanolichens with those of green algal lichens (chlorolichens), and give a roadmap of research on how to recondition the underestimated fraction of symbiotic unicellular cyanobacteria in lichens. KW - Chroococcidiopsis KW - Chroococcidiopsidales KW - Lichinales KW - Cyanolichens KW - Lichenology KW - Phycology KW - Photobiont KW - Cyanobiont Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/ismeco/ycae069 VL - 2024 PB - Oxford Academic CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jung, Patrick A1 - Lakatos, Michael A1 - Werner, Lina A1 - Briegel-Williams, Laura A1 - Emrich, Dina T1 - Roccellinastrum, Cenozosia and Heterodermia: Ecology and phylogeny of fog lichens and their photobionts from the coastal Atacama Desert N2 - Some deserts on Earth such as the Namib or the Atacama are influenced by fog which can lead to the formation of local fog oases - unique environments hosting a great diversity of specialized plants and lichens. Lichens of the genera Ramalina, Niebla or Heterodermia have taxonomically been investigated from fog oases around the globe but not from the Atacama Desert, one of the oldest and driest deserts. Conditioned by its topography and the presence of orographic fog, the National Park Pan de Azúcar in the Atacama Desert is considered to be such a lichen hotspot. Applying multi-gen loci involving phylogenetic analyses combined with intense morphological and chemical characterization, we determined the taxonomic position of five of the most abundant epiphytic lichens of this area. We evaluated Roccellinastrum spongoideum and Heterodermia follmannii which were both described from the area but also finally showed that the genus Cenozosia is the endemic sister genus to Ramalina, Vermilacinia, Namibialina and Niebla. As a result, we have described the species Heterodermia adunca, C. cava and C. excorticata as new lichen species. This work provides a comprehensive dataset for common fog lichen genera of the Coastal Range of the Atacama Desert that can be used as a baseline for monitoring programs and environmental health assessments. KW - Chlorolichens KW - Heterodermia KW - Niebla KW - Pan de Azucar KW - Symbiochloris KW - Trebouxia Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.98.107764 VL - 2023 PB - Pensoft Publishers CY - Sofia ER -