A Comprehensive Census of Microbial Diversity in Hot Springs of Tengchong,Yunnan Province China Using 16S rRNA Gene Pyrosequencing

The Rehai and Ruidian geothermal fields, located in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, China, host a variety of geochemically distinct hot springs. In this study, we report a comprehensive, cultivation-independent census of microbial communities in 37 samples collected from these geothermal fields, encompassing sites ranging in temperature from 55.1 to 93.6°C, in pH from 2.5 to 9.4, and in mineralogy from silicates in Rehai to carbonates in Ruidian. Richness was low in all samples, with 21–123 species-level OTUs detected. The bacterial phylum Aquificae or archaeal phylum Crenarchaeota were dominant in Rehai samples, yet the dominant taxa within those phyla depended on temperature, pH, and geochemistry. Rehai springs with low pH (2.5–2.6), high temperature (85.1–89.1°C), and high sulfur contents favored the crenarchaeal order Sulfolobales, whereas those with low pH (2.6–4.8) and cooler temperature (55.1–64.5°C) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobaculum. Rehai springs with neutral-alkaline pH (7.2–9.4) and high temperature (>80°C) with high concentrations of silica and salt ions (Na, K, and Cl) favored the Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter and crenarchaeal orders Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales. Desulfurococcales and Thermoproteales became predominant in springs with pH much higher than the optimum and even the maximum pH known for these orders. Ruidian water samples harbored a single Aquificae genus Hydrogenobacter, whereas microbial communities in Ruidian sediment samples were more diverse at the phylum level and distinctly different from those in Rehai and Ruidian water samples, with a higher abundance of uncultivated lineages, close relatives of the ammonia-oxidizing archaeon “Candidatus Nitrosocaldus yellowstonii”, and candidate division O1aA90 and OP1. These differences between Ruidian sediments and Rehai samples were likely caused by temperature, pH, and sediment mineralogy. The results of this study significantly expand the current understanding of the microbiology in Tengchong hot springs and provide a basis for comparison with other geothermal systems around the world.     

Use of 16S rRNA and rpoB Genes as Molecular Markers for Microbial Ecology Studies

Several characteristics of the 16S rRNA gene, such as its essential function, ubiquity, and evolutionary properties, have allowed it to become the most commonly used molecular marker in microbial ecology. However, one fact that has been overlooked is that multiple copies of this gene are often present in a given bacterium. These intragenomic copies can differ in sequence, leading to identification of multiple ribotypes for a single organism. To evaluate the impact of such intragenomic heterogeneity on the performance of the 16S rRNA gene as a molecular marker, we compared its phylogenetic and evolutionary characteristics to those of the single-copy gene rpoB. Full-length gene sequences and gene fragments commonly used for denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis were compared at various taxonomic levels. Heterogeneity found between intragenomic 16S rRNA gene copies was concentrated in specific regions of rRNA secondary structure. Such “heterogeneity hot spots” occurred within all gene fragments commonly used in molecular microbial ecology. This intragenomic heterogeneity influenced 16S rRNA gene tree topology, phylogenetic resolution, and operational taxonomic unit estimates at the species level or below. rpoB provided comparable phylogenetic resolution to that of the 16S rRNA gene at all taxonomic levels, except between closely related organisms (species and subspecies levels), for which it provided better resolution. This is particularly relevant in the context of a growing number of studies focusing on subspecies diversity, in which single-copy protein-encoding genes such as rpoB could complement the information provided by the 16S rRNA gene.     

微生物分子生态技术:16S rRNA/DNA方法

综述了以 1 6SrRNA/DNA为基础的分子生物学技术在环境微生物种群分析中的应用 ,目的是使相关的科研人员能够对 1 6SrRNA/DNA技术有一个比较完整的了解 ,并可以开展初步的实验工作。主要内容包括 :DNA指纹技术、 1 6SrDNA文库的建立、DNA测序及微生物分类鉴定 (即系统发育树分析 )、基因探针设计和测试、荧光原位杂交和核酸印迹杂交等。     

微生物分子生态技术：16SrRNA／DNA方法

综述了以16SrRNA／DNA为基础的分子生物学技术在环境微生物种群分析中的应用,目的是使相关的科研人员能够对16SrRNA／DNA技术有一个比较完整的了解,并可以开展初步的实验工作。主要内容包括：DNA指纹技术、16rDNA文库的建立、DNA测序及微生物分类鉴定(即系统发育树分析)、基因探针设计和测试、荧光原位杂交和核酸印迹杂交等。     

Quantifying Microbial Diversity: Morphotypes, 16S rRNA Genes, and Carotenoids of Oxygenic Phototrophs in Microbial Mats

We quantified the diversity of oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms present in eight hypersaline microbial mats on the basis of three cultivation-independent approaches. Morphological diversity was studied by microscopy. The diversity of carotenoids was examined by extraction from mat samples and high-pressure liquid chromatography analysis. The diversity of 16S rRNA genes from oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms was investigated by extraction of total DNA from mat samples, amplification of 16S rRNA gene segments from cyanobacteria and plastids of eukaryotic algae by phylum-specific PCR, and sequence-dependent separation of amplification products by denaturing-gradient gel electrophoresis. A numerical approach was introduced to correct for crowding the results of chromatographic and electrophoretic analyses. Diversity estimates typically varied up to twofold among mats. The congruence of richness estimates and Shannon-Weaver indices based on numbers and proportional abundances of unique morphotypes, 16S rRNA genes, and carotenoids unveiled the underlying diversity of oxygenic phototrophic microorganisms in the eight mat communities studied.     

Diversity of 16S rRNA Genes within Individual Prokaryotic Genomes

Analysis of intragenomic variation of 16S rRNA genes is a unique approach to examining the concept of ribosomal constraints on rRNA genes; the degree of variation is an important parameter to consider for estimation of the diversity of a complex microbiome in the recently initiated Human Microbiome Project (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp). The current GenBank database has a collection of 883 prokaryotic genomes representing 568 unique species, of which 425 species contained 2 to 15 copies of 16S rRNA genes per genome (2.22 ± 0.81). Sequence diversity among the 16S rRNA genes in a genome was found in 235 species (from 0.06% to 20.38%; 0.55% ± 1.46%). Compared with the 16S rRNA-based threshold for operational definition of species (1 to 1.3% diversity), the diversity was borderline (between 1% and 1.3%) in 10 species and >1.3% in 14 species. The diversified 16S rRNA genes in Haloarcula marismortui (diversity, 5.63%) and Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (6.70%) were highly conserved at the 2° structure level, while the diversified gene in B. afzelii (20.38%) appears to be a pseudogene. The diversified genes in the remaining 21 species were also conserved, except for a truncated 16S rRNA gene in “Candidatus Protochlamydia amoebophila.” Thus, this survey of intragenomic diversity of 16S rRNA genes provides strong evidence supporting the theory of ribosomal constraint. Taxonomic classification using the 16S rRNA-based operational threshold could misclassify a number of species into more than one species, leading to an overestimation of the diversity of a complex microbiome. This phenomenon is especially seen in 7 bacterial species associated with the human microbiome or diseases.rRNA genes are widely used for estimation of evolutionary history and taxonomic assignment of individual organisms (14, 26, 50-52). The choice of rRNA genes as optimal tools for such purposes is based on both observations and assumptions of ribosomal conservation (13, 50). rRNA genes are essential components of the ribosome, which consists of >50 proteins and three classes of RNA molecules; precise spatial relationships may be essential for assembly of functional ribosomes, constraining rRNA genes from drastic change (9, 13). In bacteria, the three rRNA genes are organized into a gene cluster which is expressed as single operon, which may be present in multiple copies in the genome. In organisms with multiple rRNA gene operons, the gene sequences tend to evolve in concert. It is generally believed that copies of rRNA genes within an organism are subject to a homogenization process through homologous recombination, also known as gene conversion (18), a form of concerted evolution that maintains their fit within the ribosome. The homogenization process may involve short domains without affecting the entire sequence of each gene (8).However, significant differences between copies of rRNA genes in single organisms, albeit few, have been discovered in all three domains of life and in all three classes of rRNA genes. The amphibian Xenopus laevis and the loach Misgurnus fossilis have two types of 5S rRNA genes that are specific to either somatic or oocyte ribosomes (30, 48). The parasite Plasmodium berghei contains two types of 18S rRNA genes that differ at 3.5% of the nucleotide positions and are life cycle stage specific (17). The metazoan Dugesia mediterranea possesses two types of 18S rRNA genes with 8% dissimilarity (6). The archaeon Haloarcula marismortui contains two distinct types of 16S rRNA genes that differ by 5% (32, 33). In the domain Bacteria, the actinomycete Thermobispora bispora contains two types of 16S rRNA genes that differ by 6.4% (47). Copies of the 16S rRNA genes and 23S rRNA genes of the actinomycete Thermospora chromogena differ by approximately 6 and 10%, respectively (54). Paralogous copies of rRNA genes with different sequences may have functionally distinct roles.Divergent evolution between rRNA genes in the same genome may corrupt the record of evolutionary history and obscure the true identity of an organism. Substantial variation, if it occurs, may lead to the artificial classification of an organism into more than one species. For a cultivable organism, this problem can be resolved by cloning rRNA genes from a pure culture of the organism to identify the degree of variation. However, most environmental surveys and the recently initiated Human Microbiome Project (HMP) (http://nihroadmap.nih.gov/hmp/) (34) use cultivation-independent techniques to examine microbiomes that contain mixed species. In the case of the HMP, it is hoped that this approach may identify some idiopathic diseases that are caused by alterations in the microbiome in humans. In this type of study, it may be impossible to trace all rRNA genes observed back to their original host. For example, in the phylum TM7, multiple 16S rRNA gene sequences have been reported (21), but it is not known whether they belong to multiple species or to the same bacterium with a high degree of intragenomic variation among rRNA gene paralogs. Due to the limited number of microorganisms for which nucleotide sequences are available for all copies of the rRNA genes, intragenomic variation among 16S rRNA genes, and the likelihood of pyrosequencing errors (25, 40), the potential to overestimate the diversity of a microbiome exists.Coenye et al. analyzed 55 bacterial genomes and found the intragenomic heterogeneity between multiple 16S rRNA genes in these genomes was below the common threshold (1 to 1.3%) for distinguishing species (44) and was unlikely to have a profound effect on the classification of taxa (10). The analysis of 76 whole genomes by Acinas et al. revealed the extreme diversity (11.6%) of 16S rRNA genes in Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis (2). These early analyses of intragenomic variation of 16S rRNA genes were limited to a small number of available whole genomes. With the increasing number of whole microbial genomes available from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), the extent of diversity among the paralogous 16S rRNA genes within single organisms can now be more thoroughly assessed. In the present study, we (i) addressed the theory of 16S rRNA conservation by systematic evaluation of intragenomic diversity of 16S rRNA sequences in completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes to assess its effect on the accuracy of 16S rRNA-based molecular taxonomy and (ii) examined whether previously observed ribosomal constraints on conservation of 2° structures are uniformly applicable at the intragenomic level.     

Comparative Analysis of 16S rRNA Gene Illumina Sequence for Microbial Community Structure in Diverse Unexplored Hot Springs of Odisha,India

Odisha (East India) is home to several hot springs, of which Atri and Taptapani are the two with variation in temperature and located in the Mahanadi geothermal province having altitude 120 and 1800 ft., respectively, above sea level. Average temperature of Atri hot spring is as higher as 58 ± 5°C as compared to 48 ± 5°C of Taptapani. In-depth analysis of the microbial diversity of these hot springs through 16S rRNA deep sequencing analysis, targeting V3 region was performed using Illumina bar-coded sequencing platform. Existence of higher microbial diversity in Atri hot spring (1662 OTUs; 2708 species) as compared to Taptapani (1561 Operational Taxonomic Units [OTUs]; 2045 species) is supported by higher value of diversity indices for Atri (6.24, Shannon; 0.95, Simpson) than Taptapani (4.03, Shannon; 0.79, Simpson), probably due to favorable influence of environmental parameters around it. Irrespective of the four databases (GREENGENE, M5RNA, Ribosomal Database Project [RDP], and Small Subunit [SSU] databases) used for understanding community structure, the dominant phyla in the Atri hot spring were different from the predominant populations in the Taptapani in terms of percentage representation in different databases. From Principal Coordinates Analysis [PCoA] analysis, Atri and Taptapani metagenome, on comparison with other three metagenomes, were found to be matching with the community structure of hot springs of Gujarat, India, but differed from that of saline desert. Furthermore, predicted functional analysis in both the hot springs were found to be affiliated with carbohydrate, amino acids, energy, vitamins and cofactor, nucleotide, membrane transport metabolic pathways, and the genes involved in them, although their intensity of occurrence was varying as analyzed through PICRUSt and Tax4Fun probably due to physicochemical parameters prevailing around each hot spring. The present study for the first time has revealed the differential microbial community structure and predicted functional diversity of Atri and Taptapani hot springs of Odisha in such a great detail.     

Combined Phospholipid Biomarker-16S rRNA Gene Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Analysis of Bacterial Diversity and Physiological Status in an Intertidal Microbial Mat

A combined lipid biomarker-16S rRNA gene denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis was used to monitor changes in the physiological status, biomass, and microbial composition of a microbial mat. In the morning hours, an increase in the biomass of layers containing a high density of phototrophs and a decrease in the growth rate in the deep layers were observed. The combined approach also revealed differences in major groups of microorganisms, including green nonsulfur, gram-positive, and heterotrophic bacteria.     

Selective Phylogenetic Analysis Targeting 16S rRNA Genes of Hyperthermophilic Archaea in the Deep-Subsurface Hot Biosphere

International drilling projects for the study of microbial communities in the deep-subsurface hot biosphere have been expanded. Core samples obtained by deep drilling are commonly contaminated with mesophilic microorganisms in the drilling fluid, making it difficult to examine the microbial community by 16S rRNA gene clone library analysis. To eliminate mesophilic organism contamination, we previously developed a new method (selective phylogenetic analysis [SePA]) based on the strong correlation between the guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) contents of the 16S rRNA genes and the optimal growth temperatures of prokaryotes, and we verified the method's effectiveness (H. Kimura, M. Sugihara, K. Kato, and S. Hanada, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72:21-27, 2006). In the present study we ascertained SePA's ability to eliminate contamination by archaeal rRNA genes, using deep-sea hydrothermal fluid (117°C) and surface seawater (29.9°C) as substitutes for deep-subsurface geothermal samples and drilling fluid, respectively. Archaeal 16S rRNA gene fragments, PCR amplified from the surface seawater, were denatured at 82°C and completely digested with exonuclease I (Exo I), while gene fragments from the deep-sea hydrothermal fluid remained intact after denaturation at 84°C because of their high G+C contents. An examination using mixtures of DNAs from the two environmental samples showed that denaturation at 84°C and digestion with Exo I completely eliminated archaeal 16S rRNA genes from the surface seawater. Our method was quite useful for culture-independent community analysis of hyperthermophilic archaea in core samples recovered from deep-subsurface geothermal environments.     

Intragenomic Heterogeneity of 16S rRNA Genes Causes Overestimation of Prokaryotic Diversity

Ever since Carl Woese introduced the use of 16S rRNA genes for determining the phylogenetic relationships of prokaryotes, this method has been regarded as the “gold standard” in both microbial phylogeny and ecology studies. However, intragenomic heterogeneity within 16S rRNA genes has been reported in many investigations and is believed to bias the estimation of prokaryotic diversity. In the current study, 2,013 completely sequenced genomes of bacteria and archaea were analyzed and intragenomic heterogeneity was found in 952 genomes (585 species), with 87.5% of the divergence detected being below the 1% level. In particular, some extremophiles (thermophiles and halophiles) were found to harbor highly divergent 16S rRNA genes. Overestimation caused by 16S rRNA gene intragenomic heterogeneity was evaluated at different levels using the full-length and partial 16S rRNA genes usually chosen as targets for pyrosequencing. The result indicates that, at the unique level, full-length 16S rRNA genes can produce an overestimation of as much as 123.7%, while at the 3% level, an overestimation of 12.9% for the V6 region may be introduced. Further analysis showed that intragenomic heterogeneity tends to concentrate in specific positions, with the V1 and V6 regions suffering the most intragenomic heterogeneity and the V4 and V5 regions suffering the least intragenomic heterogeneity in bacteria. This is the most up-to-date overview of the diversity of 16S rRNA genes within prokaryotic genomes. It not only provides general guidance on how much overestimation can be introduced when applying 16S rRNA gene-based methods, due to its intragenomic heterogeneity, but also recommends that, for bacteria, this overestimation be minimized using primers targeting the V4 and V5 regions.     

Characterization of a Defined 2,3,5,6-Tetrachlorobiphenyl-ortho-Dechlorinating Microbial Community by Comparative Sequence Analysis of Genes Coding for 16S rRNA

Defined microbial communities were developed by combining selective enrichment with molecular monitoring of total community genes coding for 16S rRNAs (16S rDNAs) to identify potential polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-dechlorinating anaerobes that ortho dechlorinate 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorobiphenyl. In enrichment cultures that contained a defined estuarine medium, three fatty acids, and sterile sediment, a Clostridium sp. was predominant in the absence of added PCB, but undescribed species in the δ subgroup of the class Proteobacteria, the low-G+C gram-positive subgroup, the Thermotogales subgroup, and a single species with sequence similarity to the deeply branching species Dehalococcoides ethenogenes were more predominant during active dechlorination of the PCB. Species with high sequence similarities to Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinales archaeal subgroups were predominant in both dechlorinating and nondechlorinating enrichment cultures. Deletion of sediment from PCB-dechlorinating enrichment cultures reduced the rate of dechlorination and the diversity of the community. Substitution of sodium acetate for the mixture of three fatty acids increased the rate of dechlorination, further reduced the community diversity, and caused a shift in the predominant species that included restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns not previously detected. Although PCB-dechlorinating cultures were methanogenic, inhibition of methanogenesis and elimination of the archaeal community by addition of bromoethanesulfonic acid only slightly inhibited dechlorination, indicating that the archaea were not required for ortho dechlorination of the congener. Deletion of Clostridium spp. from the community profile by addition of vancomycin only slightly reduced dechlorination. However, addition of sodium molybdate, an inhibitor of sulfate reduction, inhibited dechlorination and deleted selected species from the community profiles of the class Bacteria. With the exception of one 16S rDNA sequence that had the highest sequence similarity to the obligate perchloroethylene-dechlorinating Dehalococcoides, the 16S rDNA sequences associated with PCB ortho dechlorination had high sequence similarities to the δ, low-G+C gram-positive, and Thermotogales subgroups, which all include sulfur-, sulfate-, and/or iron(III)-respiring bacterial species.The extensive industrial use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) during the 20th century has resulted in the release of an estimated several million pounds of PCBs into the environment (2). Due to the hydrophobicity and chemical stability of these compounds, PCBs ultimately accumulate in subsurface anaerobic sediments, where reductive dechlorination by anaerobic microorganisms is proposed to be an essential step in PCB degradation and detoxification (6). Although anaerobic reductive dechlorination has been documented in the environment and in the laboratory, attempts to identify and isolate anaerobic PCB-dechlorinating microbes by classical enrichment and isolation techniques have been unsuccessful (for a review, see reference 2). Isolation of anaerobic PCB-dechlorinating microbes has been hindered in part by the inability to maintain and sequentially transfer dechlorinating consortia in defined medium. May et al. (24) were the first to demonstrate that single colonies could be obtained by plating highly enriched PCB-dechlorinating enrichment cultures on agar-solidified media. Although two of the colonies exhibited para dechlorination activity when transferred back to liquid enrichment medium, the colonies contained a mixed community of microorganisms and dechlorination required the addition of sediment to the medium. More recently, highly enriched PCB-ortho-dechlorinating enrichment cultures were developed from Baltimore Harbor sediments in minimal media that contained sediments and a single congener (3) or Aroclor 1260 (37). These were the first confirmed reports of sustained ortho dechlorination of PCBs throughout sequential transfers in medium with estuarine sediments. Finally, Cutter et al. demonstrated that a consortium of PCB-ortho-dechlorinating anaerobes from Baltimore Harbor could be sequentially transferred and maintained in minimal medium without the addition of sterile sediment (9). With the ability to maintain PCB dechlorination in a completely defined medium, highly enriched PCB-dechlorinating consortia could be developed by sequential transfers in medium that contained the minimal growth requirements for dechlorinating species.The current study identifies putative PCB-dechlorinating anaerobes in ortho-dechlorinating enrichment cultures by a comprehensive approach that combines traditional selective enrichment techniques with molecular monitoring (SEMM). Microbial consortia enriched for PCB ortho dechlorination in minimal medium were analyzed by comparative sequence analysis of genes coding for 16S rRNA (16S rDNA) amplified from total community DNAs. Protocols were developed for chromosomal DNA extraction from sediment, 16S rDNA amplification by PCR, cloning of partial 16S rDNA PCR fragments, screening by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, and DNA sequencing for comparative sequence analysis. By utilizing these techniques, shifts in the microbial community were monitored as the cultures were further enriched for PCB-dechlorinating anaerobes by elimination of undefined medium components (i.e., sediment), changes in carbon source, and addition of selective physiological inhibitors. The results presented herein demonstrate the applicability of the SEMM approach for the selection and monitoring of highly defined PCB-dechlorinating microbial consortia.     

Analysis of Diversity and Activity of Sulfate-Reducing Bacterial Communities in Sulfidogenic Bioreactors Using 16S rRNA and dsrB Genes as Molecular Markers

Here we describe the diversity and activity of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) in sulfidogenic bioreactors by using the simultaneous analysis of PCR products obtained from DNA and RNA of the 16S rRNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrAB) genes. We subsequently analyzed the amplified gene fragments by using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). We observed fewer bands in the RNA-based DGGE profiles than in the DNA-based profiles, indicating marked differences in the populations present and in those that were metabolically active at the time of sampling. Comparative sequence analyses of the bands obtained from rRNA and dsrB DGGE profiles were congruent, revealing the same SRB populations. Bioreactors that received either ethanol or isopropanol as an energy source showed the presence of SRB affiliated with Desulfobulbus rhabdoformis and/or Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans, as well as SRB related to the acetate-oxidizing Desulfobacca acetoxidans. The reactor that received wastewater containing a diverse mixture of organic compounds showed the presence of nutritionally versatile SRB affiliated with Desulfosarcina variabilis and another acetate-oxidizing SRB, affiliated with Desulfoarculus baarsii. In addition to DGGE analysis, we performed whole-cell hybridization with fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide probes to estimate the relative abundances of the dominant sulfate-reducing bacterial populations. Desulfobacca acetoxidans-like populations were most dominant (50 to 60%) relative to the total SRB communities, followed by Desulfovibrio-like populations (30 to 40%), and Desulfobulbus-like populations (15 to 20%). This study is the first to identify metabolically active SRB in sulfidogenic bioreactors by using the functional gene dsrAB as a molecular marker. The same approach can also be used to infer the ecological role of coexisting SRB in other habitats.     

Molecular Characterization of the Diversity and Distribution of a Thermal Spring Microbial Community by Using rRNA and Metabolic Genes

The diversity and distribution of a bacterial community from Coffee Pots Hot Spring, a thermal spring in Yellowstone National Park with a temperature range of 39.3 to 74.1°C and pH range of 5.75 to 6.91, were investigated by sequencing cloned PCR products and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of 16S rRNA and metabolic genes. The spring was inhabited by three Aquificae genera—Thermocrinis, Hydrogenobaculum, and Sulfurihydrogenibium—and members of the Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, Acidobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, and candidate division OP5. The in situ chemical affinities were calculated for 41 potential metabolic reactions using measured environmental parameters and a range of hydrogen and oxygen concentrations. Reactions that use oxygen, ferric iron, sulfur, and nitrate as electron acceptors were predicted to be the most energetically favorable, while reactions using sulfate were expected to be less favorable. Samples were screened for genes used in ammonia oxidation (amoA, bacterial gene only), the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle (aclB), the Calvin cycle (cbbM), sulfate reduction (dsrAB), nitrogen fixation (nifH), nitrite reduction (nirK), and sulfide oxidation (soxEF1) by PCR. Genes for carbon fixation by the rTCA cycle and nitrogen fixation were detected. All aclB sequences were phylogenetically related and spatially correlated to Sulfurihydrogenibium 16S rRNA gene sequences using qPCR (R² = 0.99). This result supports the recent finding of citrate cleavage by enzymes other than ATP citrate lyase in the rTCA cycle of the Aquificaceae family. We briefly consider potential biochemical mechanisms that may allow Sulfurihydrogenibium and Thermocrinis to codominate some hydrothermal environments.     

大黄鱼16SrRNA和18SrRNA基因的测定与序列分析

利用多对引物,扩增并测定出大黄鱼16SrRNA基因和18SrRNA基因的部分序列,其长度分别为1202bp和1275bp,16SrRNA基因序列的GC含量为46．12％,18SrRNA基因的Gc含量为53．oo％。将大黄鱼16SrRNA基因序列与GenBank中15种硬骨鱼类的同源序列结合,同时将其18SrRNA基因序列与GenBank中9种脊索动物的同源序列相结合,运用软件获得各自序列间差异百分比,转换和颠换数值等信息。基于这两种基因序列,利用NJ法和BI法,分别构建16种硬骨鱼类和10种脊索动物的分子系统树。18SrRNA构建的系统树包括三大支,一支为哺乳类、鸟类和爬行类共6个物种,一支为两栖类的1个物种,另一支为2种硬骨鱼类。16SrRNA构建的系统树显示大黄鱼所在的石首鱼科与鲈科和盖刺鱼科亲缘关系较近。此外还讨论了这两个基因的序列特征。     

Microbial Community Composition and Diversity via 16S rRNA Gene Amplicons: Evaluating the Illumina Platform

As new sequencing technologies become cheaper and older ones disappear, laboratories switch vendors and platforms. Validating the new setups is a crucial part of conducting rigorous scientific research. Here we report on the reliability and biases of performing bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicon paired-end sequencing on the MiSeq Illumina platform. We designed a protocol using 50 barcode pairs to run samples in parallel and coded a pipeline to process the data. Sequencing the same sediment sample in 248 replicates as well as 70 samples from alkaline soda lakes, we evaluated the performance of the method with regards to estimates of alpha and beta diversity. Using different purification and DNA quantification procedures we always found up to 5-fold differences in the yield of sequences between individually barcodes samples. Using either a one-step or a two-step PCR preparation resulted in significantly different estimates in both alpha and beta diversity. Comparing with a previous method based on 454 pyrosequencing, we found that our Illumina protocol performed in a similar manner – with the exception for evenness estimates where correspondence between the methods was low. We further quantified the data loss at every processing step eventually accumulating to 50% of the raw reads. When evaluating different OTU clustering methods, we observed a stark contrast between the results of QIIME with default settings and the more recent UPARSE algorithm when it comes to the number of OTUs generated. Still, overall trends in alpha and beta diversity corresponded highly using both clustering methods. Our procedure performed well considering the precisions of alpha and beta diversity estimates, with insignificant effects of individual barcodes. Comparative analyses suggest that 454 and Illumina sequence data can be combined if the same PCR protocol and bioinformatic workflows are used for describing patterns in richness, beta-diversity and taxonomic composition.     

Diversity of Free-Living and Attached Bacteria in Offshore Western Mediterranean Waters as Depicted by Analysis of Genes Encoding 16S rRNA

In a previous study (S. G. Acinas, F. Rodríguez-Valera, and C. Pedrós-Alió, FEMS Microbiol. Ecol. 24:27–40, 1997), community fingerprinting by 16S rDNA restriction analysis applied to Mediterranean offshore waters showed that the free-living pelagic bacterial community was very different from the bacterial cells aggregated or attached to particles of more than about 8 μm. Here we have studied both assemblages at three depths (5, 50, and 400 m) by cloning and sequencing the 16S rDNA obtained from the same samples, and we have also studied the samples by scanning electron microscopy to detect morphology patterns. As expected, the sequences retrieved from the assemblages were very different. The subsample of attached bacteria contained very little diversity, with close relatives of a well-known species of marine bacteria, Alteromonas macleodii, representing the vast majority of the clones at every depth. On the other hand, the free-living assemblage was highly diverse and varied with depth. At 400 m, close relatives of cultivated γ Proteobacteria predominated, but as shown by other authors, near the surface most clones were related to phylotypes described only by sequence, in which the α Proteobacteria of the SAR11 cluster predominated. The new technique of rDNA internal spacer analysis has been utilized, confirming these results. Clones representative of the A. macleodii cluster have been completely sequenced, producing a picture that fits well with the idea that they could represent a genus with at least two species and with a characteristic depth distribution.     

Characterization of Microbial Communities Found in the Human Vagina by Analysis of Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphisms of 16S rRNA Genes

To define and monitor the structure of microbial communities found in the human vagina, a cultivation-independent approach based on analyses of terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) of 16S rRNA genes was developed and validated. Sixteen bacterial strains commonly found in the human vagina were used to construct model communities that were subsequently used to develop efficient means for the isolation of genomic DNA and an optimal strategy for T-RFLP analyses. The various genera in the model community could best be resolved by digesting amplicons made using bacterial primers 8f and 926r with HaeIII; fewer strains could be resolved using other primer-enzyme combinations, and no combination successfully distinguished certain species of the same genus. To demonstrate the utility of the approach, samples from five women that had been collected over a 2-month period were analyzed. Differences and similarities among the vaginal microbial communities of the women were readily apparent. The T-RFLP data suggest that the communities of three women were dominated by a single phylotype, most likely species of Lactobacillus. In contrast, the communities of two other women included numerically abundant populations that differed from Lactobacillus strains whose 16S rRNA genes had been previously determined. The T-RFLP profiles of samples from all the women were largely invariant over time, indicating that the kinds and abundances of the numerically dominant populations were relatively stable throughout two menstrual cycles. These findings show that T-RFLP of 16S rRNA genes can be used to compare vaginal microbial communities and gain information about the numerically dominant populations that are present.     

应用16S rRNA基因文库技术分析土壤细菌群落的多样性

[目的]土壤微生物在菜田生态系统中具有重要的生态功能,通过16S rRNA基因克隆文库技术分析典型菜田土壤细菌群落结构的组成情况,为揭示典型的菜田土壤微生物的多样性以及土地利用变化与生态环境效应之间的关系奠定基础.[方法]采用未培养技术直接从北京和山东两地典型菜田土壤样品中提取微生物总的DNA,分别构建基于通用引物PCR扩增的土壤细菌16S rRNA基因克隆文库,通过Hinf Ⅰ和Hae Ⅲ限制性内切酶对两地土壤细菌16s rRNA基因文库中的克隆进行ARDRA(Amplified Ribosomal DNA Rstriction Analysis)分析,将所有阳性克隆分为若干个可操作分类单元(OTU).[目的]通过构建两地细菌克隆文库的系统发育树,并分析主要种群的组成表明:北京和山东菜田土壤细菌克隆文库的优势种群均为γ、β、α变形细菌亚群.两地的细菌种类组成分别包括124个OTUs和92个OTUs.[结论]北京地区和山东地区典型蔬菜地土壤细菌种群中优势种群均为变形细菌,但是土壤细菌多样性降低,这可能与典型菜田的多年连作,种植蔬菜种类单一直接相关.同时,也可能是造成菜田土壤病害普遍发生,土壤退化的一个重要原因.