Figure 9
Occurrence and composition of fatty acids (FAs) through ToF–SIMS analysis in sample 010,109–1. The FA compositions found in TA1 (a) and TA2 (b) are very similar to the FA composition that was obtained in mineralized fungi (c) collected from microbial structures in Pyrenees mine galleries in which the biomass was dominated by fungal hyphae as reported by Fernandez-Remolar et al. (67). Interestingly, the highest FA intensity is found in TA2 rather than TA1 and the Pyrenean sample, which both show a similar intensity in FAs. Such a distribution strongly suggests different biological origins for TA2 versus TA1 and the mineralized fungi66. Indeed, PUFAs are shown as distinctive compounds in both TA1 and the Pyrenean sample. Furthermore, the account of the concentration of even versus odd FAs in TA1 and TA2 supports a microbial main source for FAs.
