[Diversity of culturable sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments of the South Atlantic].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diversity of culturable sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in hydrothermal vent environments of the South Atlantic, and analyze their characteristics of sulfur oxidation.


METHODS
We enriched and isolated sulfur-oxidizing bacteria from hydrothermal vent samples collected from the South Atlantic. The microbial diversity in enrichment cultures was analyzed using the Denatural Gradient Gel Electrophoresis method. Sulfur-oxidizing characteristics of the isolates was further studied by using ion chromatography.


RESULTS
A total of 48 isolates were obtained from the deep-sea hydrothermal vent samples, which belonged to 23 genera and mainly grouped into alpha-Proteobacteria (58.3%), Actinobacteria (22.9%) and gama-Proteobacteria (18.8%). Among them, the genus Thalassospira, Martelella and Microbacterium were dominant. About 60% of the isolates exibited sulfur-oxidizing ability and strain L6M1-5 had a higher sulfur oxidation rate by comparison analysis.


CONCLUSIONS
The diversity of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in hydrothermal environments of the South Atlantic was reported for the first time based on culture-dependent methods. The result will help understand the biogechemical process of sulfur compounds in the deep-sea hydrothermal environments.
Hongxiu
H
Xu
Lijing
L
Jiang
Shaoneng
S
Li
Tianhua
T
Zhong
Qiliang
Q
Lai
Zongze
Z
Shao
D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D060086:Hydrothermal Vents / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*
D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D013455:Sulfur