merA amplicon sequencing of freshwater sediment: Pocket Lake 0.25 cm
The primers were used in nested PCR, using the EconoTaq PLUS MM Lucigen, Middleton, WI, USA). Temperature cycling in the first round of PCR consisted of: 94 C, 2 min; 25 cycles of {94 C, 30 s; 61 C, 30 s; 72 C, 90 s} , with a final elongation at 72 C for 5 min. The second round of PCR  consisted of: 94 C, 2 min; 35 cycles of {94 C, 30 s; 61 C, 30 s; 72 C, 30 s} , with a final elongation at 72 C for 5 min. All sequencing was performed on the Illumina MiSeq platform (paired-end 250 bp) according to the manufacturer's guidelines, at Gnome Qubec (Montreal, QC, Canada).