Metagenomic investigation of soil microbial community and population diversity of the “Dhala Impact Crater” - The largest crater in India and Southeast Asia

Abstract Dhala Impact Crater is located near Bhonti village in Pichhore block of Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, India. It is the largest crater in India and between the Mediterranean and Southeast Asia. Until now, no comprehensive study was ever conducted to elucidate the microbial community composition and structure of the Dhala Impact Crater. In the current study, the microbial community structure associated with Dhala Impact Crater was investigated using illumina high-throughput metagenomic sequencing. Four samples were collected out of which two samples (DM1 and DM2) were collected from the top area of the crater and another two samples (DM3 and DM4) were collected from the bottom area of the crater. Taxonomic analysis has identified 42 microbial phyla as most abundant, while a combined analysis of taxonomic composition and phylogenetic relationships revealed an intriguing abundance of the Proteobacteria (about 80–90%) and Firmicutes (about 29%). At the order level of taxonomic classification, Pseudomandales (about 35–55%) and Clostridiales (about 30%) were found to be predominant. Our first report on unveiling the microbial diversity of the Dhala Impact Crater has identified consistent yet vastly diverse microbial communities.