The Phylogenetic Diversity of Aerobic Organotrophic Bacteria from the Dagang High-Temperature Oil Field

The distribution and species diversity of aerobic organotrophic bacteria in the Dagang high-temperature oil field (China), which is exploited with water-flooding, have been studied. Twenty-two strains of the most characteristic thermophilic and mesophilic aerobic organotrophic bacteria have been isolated from the oil stratum. It has been found that, in a laboratory, the mesophilic and thermophilic isolates grow in the temperature, pH, and salinity ranges characteristic of the injection well near-bottom zones or of the oil stratum, respectively, and assimilate a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, lower alcohols, and crude oil, thus exhibiting adaptation to the environment. Using comparative phylogenetic 16S rRNA analysis, the taxonomic affiliation of the isolates has been established. The aerobic microbial community includes gram-positive bacteria with a high and low G+C content of DNA, and γ and β subclasses of Proteobacteria. The thermophilic bacteria belong to the genera Geobacillus and Thermoactinomyces, and the mesophilic strains belong to the genera Bacillus, Micrococcus, Cellulomonas, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter. The microbial community of the oil stratum is dominated by known species of the genus Geobacillus (G. subterraneus, G. stearothermophilus, and G. thermoglucosidasius) and a novel species “Geobacillus jurassicus.” A number of novel thermophilic oil-oxidizing bacilli have been isolated.__________Translated from Mikrobiologiya, Vol. 74, No. 3, 2005, pp. 401–409.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Nazina, Sokolova, Shestakova, Grigoryan, Mikhailova, Babich, Lysenko, Tourova, Poltaraus, Qingxian Feng, Fangtian Ni, Belyaev.     

Description of heterotrophic bacteria occurring in paper mills and paper products

AIMS: To isolate aerobic mesophilic bacilli and thermophilic bacteria from different paper mill samples and to evaluate their potential harmfulness. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 109 mesophilic and 68 thermophilic isolates were purified and characterized by automated ribotyping and partial 16S rDNA sequencing. The mesophilic isolates belonged to the genera Bacillus (13 taxa), Brevibacillus (three taxa) and Paenibacillus (five taxa). The thermophilic bacteria represented seven taxa of Bacillus, Geobacillus or Paenibacillus, four of proteobacteria and one of actinobacteria. The most frequently occurring bacteria were Bacillus cereus, B. licheniformis, Pseudoxanthomonas taiwanensis and bacteria closely related to Paenibacillus stellifer, P. turicensis or Leptothrix sp. One mill was contaminated throughout with bacteria of a novel mesophilic genus most closely related to Brevibacillus centrosporus and another with bacteria of a novel thermophilic genus most closely related to Hydrogenophilus thermoluteolus. One B. cereus isolate producing haemolytic diarrhoeal enterotoxin was detected and all the tested B. licheniformis isolates produced a metabolite toxic to boar sperm cells. CONCLUSIONS: The bacilli and thermophilic bacteria isolated represent species which should not present occupational hazards in paper mill environments. The most harmful bacterium detected was B. licheniformis and potentially also B. cereus. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Knowledge of the microbial diversity in a paper mill provides a rational basis for development of an effective controlling programme. A database constructed from the fingerprints generated using automated ribotyping helps to identify and trace the contamination routes of bacteria occurring in paper mills.     

A polyphasic taxonomic study of thermophilic bacilli from shallow, marine vents

Eighty-seven thermophilic, aerobic, spore-forming bacteria were isolated from shallow, marine, thermal vents of the Eolian Islands (Italy) and tested for a broad spectrum of phenotypic characteristics. A numerical taxonomy study was performed on these isolates and 8 thermophilic Bacillus and Geobacillus reference strains by 89 selected features. Results from cluster analysis showed the formation of nine clusters. Most of the isolates (83%) fell into several phenetically well distinguished clusters, loosely related to Geobacillus thermodenitrificans. The remaining isolates grouped together with different reference strains. Eighteen isolates, representative of the different clusters, were selected for subsequent genotypic characterisation, including partial 16S rDNA sequence analysis of 18 strains and almost complete 16S rDNA sequences of 9 strains. Subsequent DNA/DNA reassociation studies and determination of the base composition of DNA identified seven isolates as Geobacillus thermodenitrificans, two isolates as G. thermoleovorans and one isolate as Bacillus pallidus. Four isolates represented two novel species of Bacillus. The remaining four represented novel Geobacillus species, one of which has recently been described as Bacillus vulcani DSMZ 13174 T.     

Geobacillus jurassicus sp. nov., a new thermophilic bacterium isolated from a high-temperature petroleum reservoir, and the validation of the Geobacillus species

Four thermophilic, spore-forming bacterial strains, DS1(T), DS2, 46 and 49, were isolated from the high-temperature Dagang oilfield, located in China. The strains were identified by using the polyphasic taxonomy approach. These were aerobic, gram-positive, rod-shaped, moderately thermophilic (with an optimum growth temperature of 60-65 degrees C), chemoorganotrophic bacteria capable of growing on various sugars, carboxylic acids and crude oil. Two strains, DS1(T) and DS2, were capable of growing on individual saturated hydrocarbons. The G + C content of the DNA of strains DS1(T) and DS2 was 54.5 and 53.8 mol%, respectively. The phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rDNA of strains DS1(T) and DS2 showed that they form a separate cluster within the genus Geobacillus. The cellular fatty acids of the isolates were dominated by iso-15:0, iso-16:0 and iso-17:0 acids, which are the typical fatty acids of bacteria from the genus Geobacillus. The DNA-DNA hybridization study and the comparative analysis of the morphological and chemotaxonomic characteristics of strains DS1(T) and DS2 showed that they differ from the previously described Geobacillus species and belong to a new species, which was called Geobacillus jurassicus. DS1(T) (=VKM B2301(T), = DSM 15726(T)) is the type strain of this species. According to both DNA-DNA reassociation studies and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, two other strains, 46 and 49, were assigned to the species G. stearothermophilus. In this paper, we provide evidence that the new combinations G. stearothermophilus, G. thermoleovorans, G. kaustophilus, G. thermoglucosidasius and G. thermodenitrificans may be considered to be valid.     

Phylogenetic diversity of aerobic saprotrophic bacteria isolated from the Daqing oil field

A diverse and active microbial community in the stratal waters of the Daqing oil field (China), which is exploited with the use of water-flooding, was found to contain aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria (including hydrocarbon-oxidizing ones) and anaerobic fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic bacteria. The aerobic bacteria were most abundant in the near-bottom zones of injection wells. Twenty pure cultures of aerobic saprotrophic bacteria were isolated from the stratal waters. Under laboratory conditions, they grew at temperatures, pH, and salinity values typical of the stratal water from which they were isolated. These isolates were found to be able to utilize crude oil and a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and alcohols. Phylogenetic analysis carried out with the use of complete 16S rRNA sequences showed that the isolates could be divided into three major groups: gram-positive bacteria with a high and a low G + C content of DNA and gram-negative bacteria of the gamma-subclass of the Proteobacteria. Gram-positive isolates belonged to the genera Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Rhodococcus, Dietzia, Kocuria, Gordonia, Cellulomonas, and Clavibacter. Gram-negative isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. In their 16S rRNA sequences, many isolates were similar to the known microbial species and some probably represented new species.     

Phylogenetic Diversity of Aerobic Saprotrophic Bacteria Isolated from the Daqing Oil Field

A diverse and active microbial community in the stratal waters of the Daqing oil field (China), which is exploited with the use of water-flooding, was found to contain aerobic chemoheterotrophic bacteria (including hydrocarbon-oxidizing ones) and anaerobic fermentative, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic bacteria. The aerobic bacteria were most abundant in the near-bottom zones of injection wells. Twenty pure cultures of aerobic saprotrophic bacteria were isolated from the stratal waters. Under laboratory conditions, they grew at temperatures, pH, and salinity values typical of the stratal water from which they were isolated. These isolates were found to be able to utilize crude oil and a wide range of hydrocarbons, fatty acids, and alcohols. Phylogenetic analysis carried out with the use of complete 16S rRNA sequences showed that the isolates could be divided into three major groups: gram-positive bacteria with a high and a low G+C content of DNA and gram-negative bacteria of the -subclass of the Proteobacteria. Gram-positive isolates belonged to the genera Bacillus, Brevibacillus, Rhodococcus, Dietzia, Kocuria, Gordonia, Cellulomonas, and Clavibacter. Gram-negative isolates belonged to the genera Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. In their 16S rRNA sequences, many isolates were similar to the known microbial species and some probably represented new species.     

Species Diversity and Substrate Utilization Patterns of Thermophilic Bacterial Communities in Hot Aerobic Poultry and Cattle Manure Composts

This study investigated the species diversity and substrate utilization patterns of culturable thermophilic bacterial communities in hot aerobic poultry and cattle manure composts by coupling 16S rDNA analysis with Biolog data. Based on the phylogenetic relationships of 16S rDNA sequences, 34 thermophilic (grown at 60 degrees C) bacteria isolated during aerobic composting of poultry manure and cattle manure were classified as Bacillus licheniformis, B. atrophaeus, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, G. thermodenitrificans, Brevibacillus thermoruber, Ureibacillus terrenus, U. thermosphaericus, and Paenibacillus cookii. In this study, B. atrophaeus, Br. thermoruber, and P. cookii were recorded for the first time in hot compost. Physiological profiles of these bacteria, obtained from the Biolog Gram-positive (GP) microplate system, were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA). All isolates were categorized into eight different PCA groups based on their substrate utilization patterns. The bacterial community from poultry manure compost comprised more divergent species (21 isolates, seven species) and utilized more diverse substrates (eight PCA groups) than that from cattle manure compost (13 isolates, five species, and four PCA groups). Many thermophilic bacteria isolated in this study could use a variety of carboxylic acids. Isolate B110 (from poultry manure compost), which is 97.6% similar to U. terrenus in its 16S rDNA sequence, possesses particularly high activity in utilizing a broad spectrum of substrates. This isolate may have potential applications in industry.     

Three novel halotolerant and thermophilic Geobacillus strains from shallow marine vents

During a polyphasic taxonomic analysis performed on isolates from shallow marine hydrothermal vents of Eolian Islands (Italy), three thermophilic, halotolerant bacilli, designated as strain 1bw, strain 5-2 and strain 10-1, could not be affiliated to any described species. Physiological and biochemical characteristics, membrane lipids composition, mol % G+C content, and phylogenetic relationships determined on the basis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, placed these strains within the genus Geobacillus. The three strains were only moderately related to species of Geobacillus and their relatives, members of Saccharococcus. Determination of the relatedness among each other at a higher taxonomic level by DNA-DNA reassociation experiments demonstrated the three isolates to represent three different novel Geobacillus genomospecies. The taxonomic novelty of these three marine strains was substantiated by their physiological properties and by fatty acid patterns that did not match closely those of any Geobacillus type strain. These three novel strains could be of interest to biotechnology because of their ability to produce exopolysaccharides and to adhere on polystirene, characteristics undescribed so far for other Geobacillus species. They are also able to utilise hydrocarbons such as gas oil, kerosene and mineral lubricating oil. Strain 5-2 is tolerant to zinc.     

Thiobacillus cuprinus sp. nov., a Novel Facultatively Organotrophic Metal-Mobilizing Bacterium

Five strains of mesophilic, facultatively organotrophic, ore-leaching eubacteria were isolated from solfatara fields in Iceland and a uranium mine in the Federal Republic of Germany. The new organisms are aerobic gram-negative rods. They can use sulfidic ores or elemental sulfur as sole energy source, indicating that they belong to the genus Thiobacillus. Alternatively, they grow on organic substrates such as yeast extract, peptone, and pyruvate. In contrast to the other leaching bacteria known so far, the new isolates are unable to oxidize ferrous iron. They consist of extreme and moderate acidophiles growing optimally at pH 3 and 4, respectively. The extreme acidophiles showed leaching characteristics similar to those shown by Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, while the moderate acidophiles exhibited a pronounced preference for copper leaching on some chalcopyrite ores. The G+C content of the DNA is between 66 and 69 mol%, depending on the isolate. In DNA-DNA hybridization experiments, the new strains showed homologies among each other of >70%, indicating that they belong to the same species. No significant DNA homology to Thiobacillus reference strains was detectable. Therefore, the new isolates represent a new species of Thiobacillus, which we name Thiobacillus cuprinus. Isolate Hö5 is designated as the type strain (DSM 5495).     

Simultaneous hydrocarbon biodegradation and biosurfactant production by oilfield-selected bacteria

Aims: To study the bacterial diversity associated with hydrocarbon biodegradation potentiality and biosurfactant production of Tunisian oilfields bacteria. Methods and Results: Eight Tunisian hydrocarbonoclastic oilfields bacteria have been isolated and selected for further characterization studies. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that three thermophilic strains belonged to the genera Geobacillus, Bacillus and Brevibacillus, and that five mesophilic strains belonged to the genera Pseudomonas, Lysinibacillus, Achromobacter and Halomonas. The bacterial strains were cultivated on crude oil as sole carbon and energy sources, in the presence of different NaCl concentrations (1, 5 and 10%, w/v), and at 37 or 55°C. The hydrocarbon biodegradation potential of each strain was quantified by GC–MS. Strain C450R, phylogenetically related to the species Pseudomonas aeruginosa, showed the maximum crude oil degradation potentiality. During the growth of strain C450R on crude oil (2%, v/v), the emulsifying activity (E24) and glycoside content increased and reached values of 77 and 1·33 g l^?1, respectively. In addition, the surface tension (ST) decreased from 68 to 35·1 mN m^?1, suggesting the production of a rhamnolipid biosurfactant. Crude biosurfactant had been partially purified and characterized. It showed interest stability against temperature and salinity increasing and important emulsifying activity against oils and hydrocarbons. Conclusions: The results of this study showed the presence of diverse aerobic bacteria in Tunisian oilfields including mesophilic, thermophilic and halotolerant strains with interesting aliphatic hydrocarbon degradation potentiality, mainly for the most biosurfactant produced strains. Significance and Impact of the Study: It may be suggested that the bacterial isolates are suitable candidates for practical field application for effective in situ bioremediation of hydrocarbon‐contaminated sites.     

Cadmium ion biosorption by the thermophilic bacteria Geobacillus stearothermophilus and G. thermocatenulatus

This study reports surface complexation models (SCMs) for quantifying metal ion adsorption by thermophilic microorganisms. In initial cadmium ion toxicity tests, members of the genus Geobacillus displayed the highest tolerance to CdCl2 (as high as 400 to 3,200 microM). The thermophilic, gram-positive bacteria Geobacillus stearothermophilus and G. thermocatenulatus were selected for further electrophoretic mobility, potentiometric titration, and Cd2+ adsorption experiments to characterize Cd2+ complexation by functional groups within and on the cell wall. Distinct one-site SCMs described the extent of cadmium ion adsorption by both studied Geobacillus sp. strains over a range of pH values and metal/bacteria concentration ratios. The results indicate that a functional group with a deprotonation constant pK value of approximately 3.8 accounts for 66% and 80% of all titratable sites for G. thermocatenulatus and G. stearothermophilus, respectively, and is dominant in Cd2+ adsorption reactions. The results suggest a different type of functional group may be involved in cadmium biosorption for both thermophilic strains investigated here, compared to previous reports for mesophilic bacteria.     

Phylogenetic diversity of thermophilic carbohydrate degrading bacilli from Bulgarian hot springs

Phylogenetic diversity of culturable bacteria from genus Bacillus and related genera, isolated from 18 Bulgarian hot springs was investigated in association with their functional diversity. Sixty-seven thermophilic and facultative thermophilic strains were isolated under aerobic conditions at 60°C. Sixty-six of them belonged to eight species in four genera from Bacillus group: Anoxybacillus, Geobacillus, Brevibacillus and Bacillus. Representatives of the genus Anoxybacillus predominated. Based on phylogenetic analysis (<97% sequence similarity) four strains belonged to groups representing potentially novel species. Producers of carbohydrases, degrading 12 from the tested 13 substrates were isolated. About half of the isolates degraded amylose by exo- or endo-mechanism of action of their enzymes. The isolates degrading hemicellulose carbohydrates like arabinan, arabinoxylan, β-glucan, galactan, galactomannan and xyloglucan were reached to. Some of the microorganisms were able to uptake microbial polysaccharides like curdlan and gellan and their enzymes were between first reported thermostable enzymes in their groups, like gellan lyase and curdlan lyase A relation between species affiliation and their functional activity was observed—all A. gonensis strains were producer of amylolytic enzymes, most of Brevibacillus ruber strains were able to grow in a minimal medium with xanthan.     

喹啉废水反硝化反应器中优势菌的代谢功能分析

采用纯培养技术对一个降解喹啉的反硝化反应器筛选到的26株优势菌株进行反硝化能力以及好氧降解喹啉能力研究,其中的反硝化菌还测定了反硝化条件下的喹啉降解能力。结果发现Bacillus、Staphylococcus、Pseudomonas、Brucella、Delftia等5个属的10株菌具有反硝化能力,Rhodococcus属的9株细菌能够好氧降解喹啉,揭示了反硝化喹啉降解反应器中主要细菌类型的代谢特性,发现在缺氧反硝化反应器中存在多样的代谢类型的细菌。     

Characterization of bacterial pectinolytic strains involved in the water retting process

Pectinolytic microorganisms involved in the water retting process were characterized. Cultivable mesophilic anaerobic and aerobic bacteria were isolated from unretted and water-retted material. A total of 104 anaerobic and 23 aerobic pectinolytic strains were identified. Polygalacturonase activity was measured in the supernatant of cell cultures; 24 anaerobic and nine aerobic isolates showed an enzymatic activity higher than the reference strains Clostridium felsineum and Bacillus subtilis respectively. We performed the first genotypic characterization of the retting microflora by a 16S amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis (ARDRA). Anaerobic isolates were divided into five different groups, and the aerobic isolates were clustered into three groups. 84.6% of the anaerobic and 82.6% of the aerobic isolates consisted of two main haplotypes. Partial 16S rRNA gene sequences were determined for 12 strains, representative of each haplotype. All anaerobic strains were assigned to the Clostridium genus, whereas the aerobic isolates were assigned to either the Bacillus or the Paenibacillus genus. Anaerobic isolates with high polygalacturonase (PG) activity belong to two clearly distinct phylogenetic clusters related to C. acetobutylicum-C. felsineum and C. saccharobutylicum species. Aerobic isolates with high PG activity belong to two clearly distinct phylogenetic clusters related to B. subtilisT and B. pumilusT.     

小蓬竹根际土壤微生物及内生真菌多样性分析

为了解喀斯特典型物种-小蓬竹根际土壤微生物及不同部位内生真菌多样性,采用沿等高线等距离取样法采集小蓬竹根际土壤及健康植株,通过可培养对根际土微生物及内生菌进行分离,利用分子技术对其进行鉴定,根据鉴定结果构建系统发育树,并计算小蓬竹根际土壤微生物和根茎叶内生真菌多样性。结果如下：（1）共从根际土壤、根、茎、叶分离得到139个真菌菌株,隶属于27属,其中根际土壤分离得到34个真菌菌株隶属于12属,根部分离得到的63个内生真菌菌株隶属于17个属,茎部分离得到的14个内生真菌菌株隶属于8个属,叶部分离得到28个内生真菌菌株隶属于9个属;（2）根际土壤共分离得到41株细菌菌株,隶属于7个属26个种,20株放线菌菌株,隶属于1属15种;从Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、均匀度指数、Simpson指数排序来看,真菌主要表现为根 > 根际土壤 > 茎 > 叶,细菌和放线菌多样性均较低。（3）按层次聚类分析可分别将真菌、细菌、放线菌聚为3支。小蓬竹根际土壤、根、茎和叶具有丰富的微生物多样性,不同部位菌群组成存在差异性（P<0.05）,且存在以假单胞菌属、芽孢杆菌属等为优势属的抗盐耐旱菌群,这有助于揭示小蓬竹对喀斯特生境的适应性,以及为微生物-植物群落之间相互关系提供一定基础数据,为后期寻找小蓬竹相关耐性功能菌奠定基础。     

Isolation and characterization of xylose- and xylan-utilizing anaerobic bacteria

By enrichment with xylose, nine mesophilic strains of anaerobic bacteria were obtained from various sources. Two isolates appear to belong to the genus Eubacterium. Six other strains belong to the genus Clostridium. Three of the isolated strains utilized larch wood xylan. The percentage of utilization of xylose and xylan and the yield of fermentation end products — viz. acetic acid and butyric acid-are equivalent to that of Clostridium acetobutylicum (ATCC 824) and reported thermophilic strains.     

Ecophysiology of lithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphaerotilus</Emphasis> species from sulfide springs in the Northern Caucasus

Six strains of sulfur-oxidizing bacteria of the known organotrophic species Sphaerotilus natans were isolated from two North Caucasian sulfide springs. Similar to known colorless sulfur bacteria, all the strains accumulated elemental sulfur when grown in media with sulfide. Unlike previously isolated S. natans strains, new isolates had higher temperature growth optimum (33–37°C) and variable metabolism. All the strains were capable of organotrophic, lithoheterotrophic, and mixotrophic growth with sulfur compounds as electron donors for energy metabolism. Variable metabolism of new Sphaerotilus isolates is a highly important adaptation mechanism which facilitates extension of their geographic range and supports their mass development in new habitats, e.g. sulfide springs. Within the cluster of new isolates, the physiological heterogeneity was shown to result from the inducible nature of the enzymes of oxidative sulfur metabolism and from their resistance to aerobic cultivation.     

Novel thermo-acidophilic bacteria isolated from geothermal sites in Yellowstone National Park: physiological and phylogenetic characteristics

Moderately thermophilic acidophilic bacteria were isolated from geothermal (30-83 degrees C) acidic (pH 2.7-3.7) sites in Yellowstone National Park. The temperature maxima and pH minima of the isolates ranged from 50 to 65 degrees C, and pH 1.0-1.9. Eight of the bacteria were able to catalyze the dissimilatory oxidation of ferrous iron, and eleven could reduce ferric iron to ferrous iron in anaerobic cultures. Several of the isolates could also oxidize tetrathionate. Six of the iron-oxidizing isolates, and one obligate heterotroph, were low G+C gram-positive bacteria ( Firmicutes). The former included three Sulfobacillus-like isolates (two closely related to a previously isolated Yellowstone strain, and the third to a mesophilic bacterium isolated from Montserrat), while the other three appeared to belong to a different genus. The other two iron-oxidizers were an Actinobacterium (related to Acidimicrobium ferrooxidans) and a Methylobacterium-like isolate (a genus within the alpha -Proteobacteria that has not previously been found to contain either iron-oxidizers or acidophiles). The other three (heterotrophic) isolates were also alpha-Proteobacteria and appeared be a novel thermophilic Acidisphaera sp. An ARDREA protocol was developed to discriminate between the iron-oxidizing isolates. Digestion of amplified rRNA genes with two restriction enzymes ( SnaBI and BsaAI) separated these bacteria into five distinct groups; this result was confirmed by analysis of sequenced rRNA genes.     

Culture dependent and independent analyses of 16S rRNA and ATP citrate lyase genes: a comparison of microbial communities from different black smoker chimneys on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The bacterial and archaeal communities of three deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR; Rainbow, Logatchev and Broken Spur) were investigated using an integrated culture-dependent and independent approach. Comparative molecular phylogenetic analyses, using the 16S rRNA gene and the deduced amino acid sequences of the alpha and beta subunits of the ATP citrate lyase encoding genes were carried out on natural microbial communities, on an enrichment culture obtained from the Broken Spur chimney, and on novel chemolithoautotrophic bacteria and reference strains originally isolated from several different deep-sea vents. Our data showed that the three MAR hydrothermal vent chimneys investigated in this study host very different microbial assemblages. The microbial community of the Rainbow chimney was dominated by thermophilic, autotrophic, hydrogen-oxidizing, sulfur- and nitrate-reducing Epsilonproteobacteria related to the genus Caminibacter. The detection of sequences related to sulfur-reducing bacteria and archaea (Archaeoglobus) indicated that thermophilic sulfate reduction might also be occurring at this site. The Logatchev bacterial community included several sequences related to mesophilic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria, while the archaeal component of this chimney was dominated by sequences related to the ANME-2 lineage, suggesting that anaerobic oxidation of methane may be occurring at this site. Comparative analyses of the ATP citrate lyase encoding genes from natural microbial communities suggested that Epsilonproteobacteria were the dominant primary producers using the reverse TCA cycle (rTCA) at Rainbow, while Aquificales of the genera Desulfurobacterium and Persephonella were prevalent in the Broken Spur chimney.     

Phylogenetic diversity of culturable bacteria from Antarctic sandy intertidal sediments

The diversity of culturable bacteria associated with sandy intertidal sediments from the coastal regions of the Chinese Antarctic Zhongshan Station on the Larsemann Hills (Princess Elizabeth Land, East Antarctica) was investigated. A total of 65 aerobic heterotrophic bacterial strains were isolated at 4°C. Microscopy and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that the isolates were dominated by Gram-negative bacteria, while only 16 Gram-positive strains were isolated. The bacterial isolates fell in five phylogenetic groups: Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes. Based on phylogenetic trees, all the 65 isolates were sorted into 29 main clusters, corresponding to at least 29 different genera. Based on sequence analysis (<98% sequence similarity), the Antarctic isolates belonged to at least 37 different bacterial species, and 14 of the 37 bacterial species (37.8%) represented potentially novel taxa. These results indicated a high culturable diversity within the bacterial community of the Antarctic sandy intertidal sediments.