title: Preservation of ancestral Cretaceous microflora recovered from a hypersaline oil reservoir.
abstract: Microbiology of a hypersaline oil reservoir located in Central Africa was investigated with molecular and culture methods applied to preserved core samples. Here we show that the community structure was partially acquired during sedimentation, as many prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene sequences retrieved from the extracted DNA are phylogenetically related to actual Archaea inhabiting surface evaporitic environments, similar to the Cretaceous sediment paleoenvironment. Results are discussed in term of microorganisms and/or DNA preservation in such hypersaline and Mg-rich solutions. High salt concentrations together with anaerobic conditions could have preserved microbial/molecular diversity originating from the ancient sediment basin wherein organic matter was deposited.
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, CEREGE, Centre St Charles, Case 67, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille, France.|Aix-Marseille Université, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gales
authors.affiliation: Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., 3333 Highway 6 South, Houston, Texas 77082, USA.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tsesmetzis
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Neria
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alazard
authors.affiliation: BRGM, Unité BioGéochimie Environnementale, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 ORLEANS cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Coulon
authors.affiliation: Emerging Technologies - Subsurface, Projects &Technologies, Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Kessler Park 1, 2288 GS Rijswijk, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Lomans
authors.affiliation: BRGM, Unité BioGéochimie Environnementale, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 ORLEANS cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, Université du Sud Toulon-Var, CNRS/INSU, IRD, MIO, UM 110, 13288, Marseille, cedex 09, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ollivier
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, CEREGE, Centre St Charles, Case 67, 3 Place Victor Hugo, 13331 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Borgomano
authors.affiliation: BRGM, Unité BioGéochimie Environnementale, 3 Avenue Claude Guillemin, BP 36009, 45060 ORLEANS cedex 2, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Joulian
mesh_terms: D000350:Africa, Central; D001105:Archaea / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000737:chemistry; D061329:Oil and Gas Fields / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D054712:Salinity
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D008274:Magnesium