title: Diversity of Kenyan soda lake alkaliphiles assessed by molecular methods.
abstract: DNA was extracted from water and sediment samples taken from soda lakes of the Kenyan-Tanzanian Rift Valley. DNA was also extracted from microbial enrichment cultures of sediment samples. 16S rRNA genes were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and microbial diversity was studied using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S rDNA amplicons. Cloning and sequencing of single DGGE bands showed that they usually contained mixed amplicons. Several of the amplicon sequences had high identities, up to 99%, with 16S rRNA genes of organisms previously isolated from soda lakes, while others were only distantly related, with identities as low as 82%. Phylogenetic analysis of the sequenced amplicons indicated that sequences were related to the haloarchaeal, Bacillus/Clostridium, Rhodobacterium/ Thioalcalovibrio/ Methylobacter, and Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides (CFB) groups and the enterobacteria/ Aeromonas/Vibrio part of the gamma3 subdivision of the Proteobacteria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Leicester, University Road, LE1 9HN, Leicester, UK. H.C.Rees@Sheffield.ac.uk
authors.forename: Helen C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Brian E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Shaun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heaphy
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002254:Carbonates; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007630:Kenya; D010802:Phylogeny; D019642:RNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D002254:Carbonates; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D019642:RNA, Archaeal; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C005686:sodium carbonate