Bacterial community composition in Lake Tanganyika: vertical and horizontal heterogeneity.
Vertical and latitudinal differences in bacterial community composition (BCC) in Lake Tanganyika were studied during the dry season of 2002 by means of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR-amplified 16S RNA fragments. Dominant bands were sequenced and identified as members of the Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Nitrospirae, green nonsulfur bacteria, and Firmicutes divisions and the Gamma- and Deltaproteobacteria subdivisions. The BCC in the lake displayed both vertical and latitudinal variation. Vertical changes in BCC were related to the thermal water column stratification, which influences oxygen and nutrient concentrations. Latitudinal variation was related to upwelling of deep water and increased primary production in the south of the lake. The number of bands per sample increased with bacterial production in the epilimnion of the lake, suggesting a positive diversity-productivity relationship.
De Wever
Aaike
A
Ghent University, Department Biology, Section Protistology and Aquatic Ecology, 9000 Ghent, Belgium. Aaike.DeWever@UGent.be
Muylaert
Koenraad
K
Van der Gucht
Katleen
K
Pirlot
Samuel
S
Cocquyt
Christine
C
Descy
Jean-Pierre
JP
Plisnier
Pierre-Denis
PD
Vyverman
Wim
W
D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013636:Tanzania
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S