title: Microbiological investigations on the water of a thermal bath at Budapest.
abstract: Thermal baths are unique aquatic environments combining a wide variety of natural and anthropogenic ecological factors, which also appear in their microbiological state. There is limited information on the microbiology of thermal baths in their complexity, tracking community shifts from the thermal wells to the pools. In the present study, the natural microbial community of well and pool waters in Gellért bath was studied in detail by cultivation-based techniques. To isolate bacteria, 10% R2A and minimal synthetic media (with "bath water") with agar-agar and gellan gum were used after prolonged incubation time; moreover, polyurethane blocks covered with media were also applied. Strains were identified by sequencing their 16S rRNA gene after grouping them by amplified rDNA restriction analysis. From each sample, the dominance of Alphaproteobacteria was characteristic though their diversity differed among samples. Members of Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Beta- and Gamma-proteobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, and Bacteroidetes were also identified. Representatives of Deinococcus-Thermus phylum appeared only in the pool water. The largest groups in the pool water belonged to the Tistrella and Chelatococcus genera. The most dominant member in the well water was a new taxon, its similarity to Hartmannibacter diazotrophicus as closest relative was 93.93%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Sára
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Szuróczki
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Zsuzsa
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kéki
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Szandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Káli
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Anett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lippai
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Károly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Márialigeti
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Lorand University , Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tóth
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012067:Religion
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial
keywords: 16S rDNA; Gellért bath; bacterial community structure; cultivation; well and pool waters