title: The enigma of prokaryotic life in deep hypersaline anoxic basins.
abstract: Deep hypersaline anoxic basins in the Mediterranean Sea are a legacy of dissolution of ancient subterranean salt deposits from the Miocene period. Our study revealed that these hypersaline basins are not biogeochemical dead ends, but support in situ sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and heterotrophic activity. A wide diversity of prokaryotes was observed, including a new, abundant, deeply branching order within the Euryarchaeota. Furthermore, we demonstrated the presence of a unique, metabolically active microbial community in the Discovery basin, which is one of the most extreme terrestrial saline environments known, as it is almost saturated with MgCl2 (5 M).
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbial Ecology, University of Groningen, 9751 NN Haren, Netherlands. paul.van.der.wielen@kiwa.nl
authors.forename: Paul W J J
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: van der Wielen
authors.forename: Henk
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bolhuis
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Borin
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Daffonchio
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Corselli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giuliano
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Auria
authors.forename: Gert J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: de Lange
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Huebner
authors.forename: Sotirios P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Varnavas
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tamburini
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Marty
authors.forename: Terry J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McGenity
authors.forename: Kenneth N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Timmis
mesh_terms: D000693:Anaerobiosis; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification; D018407:Bacterial Physiological Phenomena; D044822:Biodiversity; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology; D019766:Genes, Archaeal; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D015636:Magnesium Chloride / Q000032:analysis; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D013431:Sulfates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013431:Sulfates; D015636:Magnesium Chloride; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D008697:Methane