Diversity and distribution in hypersaline microbial mats of bacteria related to Chloroflexus spp.
Filamentous bacteria containing bacteriochlorophylls c and a were enriched from hypersaline microbial mats. Based on phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences, these organisms form a previously undescribed lineage distantly related to Chloroflexus spp. We developed and tested a set of PCR primers for the specific amplification of 16S rRNA genes from filamentous phototrophic bacteria within the kingdom of "green nonsulfur bacteria." PCR products recovered from microbial mats in a saltern in Guerrero Negro, Mexico, were subjected to cloning or denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and then sequenced. We found evidence of a high diversity of bacteria related to Chloroflexus which exhibit different distributions along a gradient of salinity from 5.5 to 16%.
Nübel
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U
Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, USA. unuebel@dsmz.de
Bateson
M M
MM
Madigan
M T
MT
Kühl
M
M
Ward
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DM
D019414:Chlorobi / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D003470:Culture Media; D017931:DNA Primers; D017753:Ecosystem; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014871:Water Microbiology
D003470:Culture Media; D017931:DNA Primers; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012965:Sodium Chloride