16S rRNA gene and lipid biomarker evidence for anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing bacteria (anammox) in California and Nevada hot springs.
Anammox, the oxidation of ammonium with nitrite to dinitrogen gas under anoxic conditions, is an important process in mesophilic environments such as wastewaters, oceans and freshwater systems, but little is known of this process at elevated temperatures. In this study, we investigated anammox in microbial mats and sediments obtained from several hot springs in California and Nevada, using geochemical and molecular microbiological methods. Anammox bacteria-specific ladderane core lipids with concentrations ranging between 0.3 and 52 ng g(-1) sediment were detected in five hot springs analyzed with temperatures up to 65 degrees C. In addition, 16S rRNA gene analysis showed the presence of genes phylogenetically related to the known anammox bacteria Candidatus Brocadia fulgida, Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans and Candidatus Kuenenia stuttgartiensis (96.5-99.8% sequence identity) in three hot springs with temperatures up to 52 degrees C. Our data indicate that anammox bacteria may be able to thrive at thermophilic temperatures and thus may play a significant role in the nitrogen cycle of hot spring environments.
Jaeschke
Andrea
A
Department of Marine Organic Biogeochemistry, NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, Texel, The Netherlands. jaeschke@nioz.nl
Op den Camp
Huub J M
HJ
Harhangi
Harry
H
Klimiuk
Adam
A
Hopmans
Ellen C
EC
Jetten
Mike S M
MS
Schouten
Stefan
S
Sinninghe Damsté
Jaap S
JS
D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002140:California; D020459:Genes, rRNA; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology; D045482:Hot Springs / Q000382:microbiology*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D009505:Nevada; D010802:Phylogeny; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D012329:RNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000032:analysis*; D014871:Water Microbiology
D008055:Lipids; D000644:Quaternary Ammonium Compounds; D012329:RNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S