title: Microbial life in a fjord: metagenomic analysis of a microbial mat in Chilean patagonia.
abstract: The current study describes the taxonomic and functional composition of metagenomic sequences obtained from a filamentous microbial mat isolated from the Comau fjord, located in the northernmost part of the Chilean Patagonia. The taxonomic composition of the microbial community showed a high proportion of members of the Gammaproteobacteria, including a high number of sequences that were recruited to the genomes of Moritella marina MP-1 and Colwelliapsycherythraea 34H, suggesting the presence of populations related to these two psychrophilic bacterial species. Functional analysis of the community indicated a high proportion of genes coding for the transport and metabolism of amino acids, as well as in energy production. Among the energy production functions, we found protein-coding genes for sulfate and nitrate reduction, both processes associated with Gammaproteobacteria-related sequences. This report provides the first examination of the taxonomic composition and genetic diversity associated with these conspicuous microbial mat communities and provides a framework for future microbial studies in the Comau fjord.
authors.affiliation: Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Ugalde
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belmar
authors.forename: Práxedes
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Nathaly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Tagle
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ferrada-Fuentes
authors.forename: Carola
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Espinoza
authors.forename: Eric E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Victor A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Gallardo
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000235:genetics; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D054892:Metagenome; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics*; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D058889:Molecular Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D045483:Rivers; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S