Physiological and genomic features of highly alkaliphilic hydrogen-utilizing Betaproteobacteria from a continental serpentinizing site.
Serpentinization, or the aqueous alteration of ultramafic rocks, results in challenging environments for life in continental sites due to the combination of extremely high pH, low salinity and lack of obvious electron acceptors and carbon sources. Nevertheless, certain Betaproteobacteria have been frequently observed in such environments. Here we describe physiological and genomic features of three related Betaproteobacterial strains isolated from highly alkaline (pH 11.6) serpentinizing springs at The Cedars, California. All three strains are obligate alkaliphiles with an optimum for growth at pH 11 and are capable of autotrophic growth with hydrogen, calcium carbonate and oxygen. The three strains exhibit differences, however, regarding the utilization of organic carbon and electron acceptors. Their global distribution and physiological, genomic and transcriptomic characteristics indicate that the strains are adapted to the alkaline and calcium-rich environments represented by the terrestrial serpentinizing ecosystems. We propose placing these strains in a new genus 'Serpentinomonas'.
J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Shino
S
Suzuki
1] University of Southern California, 835 W. 37th St. SHS 560, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA [2] Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, Delft, 2628BC, The Netherlands.
J Gijs
JG
Kuenen
1] J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, Delft, 2628BC, The Netherlands.
Kira
K
Schipper
1] University of Southern California, 835 W. 37th St. SHS 560, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA [2] Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, Delft, 2628BC, The Netherlands.
Suzanne
S
van der Velde
J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Shun'ichi
S
Ishii
J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Angela
A
Wu
1] Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, Delft, 2628BC, The Netherlands [2] Winogradsky Institute of Microbiology, RAS, Prospect 60-let Octyabrya 7/2, Moscow 117811, Russia.
Dimitry Y
DY
Sorokin
J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA.
Aaron
A
Tenney
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Higashi 1-1-1, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan.
XianYing
X
Meng
Memorial University, St John's, Newfoundland, Canada A1B 3X5.
Penny L
PL
Morrill
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Higashi 1-1-1, Ibaraki 305-8566, Japan.
Yoichi
Y
Kamagata
1] Delft University of Technology, Julianalaan 67, Delft, 2628BC, The Netherlands [2] University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, Amsterdam, 1098XH, The Netherlands.
Gerard
G
Muyzer
1] J. Craig Venter Institute, 4120 Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, USA [2] University of Southern California, 835 W. 37th St. SHS 560, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA.
Kenneth H
KH
Nealson
D001483:Base Sequence; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D002140:California; D017753:Ecosystem; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics*; D006859:Hydrogen; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*
D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D006859:Hydrogen