Monitoring bacterial communities in raw milk and cheese by culture-dependent and -independent 16S rRNA gene-based analyses

The diversity and dynamics of bacterial populations in Saint-Nectaire, a raw-milk, semihard cheese, were investigated using a dual culture-dependent and direct molecular approach combining single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) fingerprinting and sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The dominant clones, among 125 16S rRNA genes isolated from milk, belonged to members of the Firmicutes (58% of the total clones) affiliated mainly with the orders Clostridiales and the Lactobacillales, followed by the phyla Proteobacteria (21.6%), Actinobacteria (16.8%), and Bacteroidetes (4%). Sequencing the 16S rRNA genes of 126 milk isolates collected from four culture media revealed the presence of 36 different species showing a wider diversity in the Gammaproteobacteria phylum and Staphylococcus genus than that found among clones. In cheese, a total of 21 species were obtained from 170 isolates, with dominant species belonging to the Lactobacillales and subdominant species affiliated with the Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes (Chryseobacterium sp.), or Gammaproteobacteria (Stenotrophomonas sp.). Fingerprinting DNA isolated from milk by SSCP analysis yielded complex patterns, whereas analyzing DNA isolated from cheese resulted in patterns composed of a single peak which corresponded to that of lactic acid bacteria. SSCP fingerprinting of mixtures of all colonies harvested from plate count agar supplemented with crystal violet and vancomycin showed good potential for monitoring the subdominant Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes (Flavobacteria) organisms in milk and cheese. Likewise, analyzing culturable subcommunities from cheese-ripening bacterial medium permitted assessment of the diversity of halotolerant Actinobacteria and Staphylococcus organisms. Direct and culture-dependent approaches produced complementary information, thus generating a more accurate view of milk and cheese microbial ecology.     

Phylogenetic diversity of bacterial and archaeal communities inhabiting the saline Lake Red located in Sovata, Romania

Lake Red is one of the saline lakes which were formed as a consequence of salt massif dissolution at the foot of the Gurghiu Mountains (Central Romania) at the end of the nineteenth century. The lake water had approximately 15?% w/v salt content. Phylogenetic diversity of prokaryotes inhabiting the water and sediment of the lake was studied using cultivation and cultivation-independent methods following a sampling in spring 2009. According to the results of 16S rRNA gene-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), the richness of Bacteria was higher than Archaea on the basis of the number and position of dominant bands in the gel. Sequences from DGGE bands were affiliated with Gammaproteobacteria (Halomonas and Alkalilimnicola) and Bacteroidetes (Psychroflexus) as well as Euryarchaeota. Cultivation from five different saline media resulted in 101 bacterial strains of which Gammaproteobacteria (Halomonas, Marinobacter and Salinivibrio) were the most abundant. Firmicutes (Bacillus) and Alphaproteobacteria (Aurantimonas and Roseovarius) were also identified among the isolated strains. The 16S rRNA genes from 82 bacterial and 95 archaeal clones were also phylogenetically analyzed. Bacterial clones were related to various genera of Gammaproteobacteria (Alkalilimnicola, Alkalispirillum, Arhodomonas, Halomonas, Saccharospirillum), Bacteroidetes (Gracilimonas, Psychroflexus) and Alphaproteobacteria (Oceanicola, Roseinatronobacter, Roseovarius). All of the archaeal clones sequenced corresponded to a homologous cluster affiliated with Halopelagius.     

城市景观水体中固氮微生物多样性及固氮活性检测

为探究城市景观水体中固氮微生物群落结构、多样性及固氮活性, 揭示水体中固氮蓝藻的固氮贡献, 研究选取新乡市牧野湖和人民公园水体两个小型水体进行研究。通过理化指标测定, 发现两个水体均处于富营养化状态, 借助高通量测序, 对两水体中微生物的16S rDNA和固氮酶nifH基因进行测序, 并利用乙炔还原法测定水体中固氮微生物的固氮速率。结果表明: 牧野湖水体中的原核生物类群共检测出32个门, 275个属; 固氮微生物共检测出9个门, 66个属。人民公园水体中的原核生物类群共检测出31个门, 238个属; 固氮微生物共检测出4个门, 13个属。固氮蓝藻在两个水体固氮微生物类群中分别占有3%和9.3%, 牧野湖固氮微生物丰富度相对较高, 与人民公园水体固氮微生物多样性差异较大。乙炔还原法测固氮速率结果显示, 两水体均未检测到固氮活性, 推测在富营养化的水体中固氮活性可能被抑制。     

Bacterial diversity within five unexplored freshwater lakes interconnected by surface channels in East Antarctic Dronning Maud Land (Schirmacher Oasis) using amplicon pyrosequencing

The Schimacher Oasis, an ice-free plateau in East Antarctic Dronning Maud Land, consists of over 120 freshwater lakes. These lakes are connected largely through four major surface channels. The bacterial diversity in these lake ecosystems remains largely unexplored. In this study, we compared the bacterial diversity in five freshwater lakes (L42, L46, L47, L50, and L51) interconnected by two surface channels using bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing (bTEFAP) method. We further compared the resultant bacterial composition from these five lakes with another freshwater lake in the Schirmacher Oasis, Lake Tawani(P), which is not connected through the same surface channels. Using bTEFAP, we differentiated nine different phyla with the phyla Proteobacteria (especially the class Alphaproteobacteria) and Bacteroidetes (the class Sphingobacteria) dominating in lakes interconnected by surface channel 1, while the phyla Chloroflexi and Firmicutes were highly abundant in lakes interconnected by surface channel 2. The operational taxonomic unit (OTU) network and Principle Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) plot based on unweighted UNIFRAC determined that the bacterial assemblages found in these five lakes are different than the bacterial composition residing in Lake Tawani(P). The distribution and the diversity of the bacterial communities in Schirmacher Oasis freshwater lakes that are connected through surface channels may provide an insight into the role of the extreme physico-chemical parameters that help shape microbially driven functional ecosystems in other oases on this icy continent.     

Limitations to Natural Bioremediation of Perchlorate in a Contaminated Site

Perchlorate (ClO₄ ^?) has been detected in many drinking water supplies in the United States, including the Las Vegas Wash and Lake Mead, Nevada. These locations are highly contaminated and contribute perchlorate to Lake Mead and the Colorado River system. Essential elements for perchlorate bioremediation at these locations were examined, including the presence of perchlorate-reducing bacteria (PRB), sufficient electron donors, occurrence of competing electron acceptors, and ability of PRB to utilize a variety of electron donors. Enumeration of PRB was performed anoxically using most probable number (MPN). Values ranged from ≤20 to 230 PRB/100 ml or ≤20 to ≥ 1.6× 10⁵ PRB/g for Lake Mead water samples and Las Vegas Wash sediments, respectively. 16S rRNA sequences revealed that isolates were γ -proteobacteria, Aeromonas, Dechlorosoma, Rahnella and Shewanella. A screening of potential electron donors using BIOLOG^TM demonstrated that all isolates were capable of metabolic versatility. Measurements of total organic carbon (TOC), nitrate and dissolved oxygen (DO) indicated limited presence of electron donor at all sites, whereas the electron acceptors varied throughout the Wash and Lake Mead. The persistence of perchlorate in the sites is attributed to lack of available electron donor and/or the presence of competing electron acceptors. A location has been identified where perchlorate biodegradation could be implemented thereby halting the transport of perchlorate to Lake Mead and the Colorado River.     

Novelty and spatio–temporal heterogeneity in the bacterial diversity of hypersaline Lake Tebenquiche (Salar de Atacama)

Lake Tebenquiche is one of the largest saline water bodies in the Salar de Atacama at 2,500 m above sea level in northeastern Chile. Bacteria inhabiting there have to deal with extreme changes in salinity, temperature and UV dose (i.e., high environmental dissimilarity in the physical landscape). We analyzed the bacterioplankton structure of this lake by 16S rRNA gene analyses along a spatio-temporal survey. The bacterial assemblage within the lake was quite heterogeneous both in space and time. Salinity changed both in space and time ranging between 1 and 30% (w/v), and total abundances of planktonic prokaryotes in the different sampling points within the lake ranged between two and nine times 10(6) cells mL(-1). Community composition changed accordingly to the particular salinity of each point as depicted by genetic fingerprinting analyses (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), showing a high level of variation in species composition from place to place (beta-diversity). Three selected sites were analyzed in more detail by clone libraries. We observed a predominance of Bacteroidetes (about one third of the clones) and Gammaproteobacteria (another third) with respect to all the other bacterial groups. The diversity of Bacteroidetes sequences was large and showed a remarkable degree of novelty. Bacteroidetes formed at least four clusters with no cultured relatives in databases and rather distantly related to any known 16S rRNA sequence. Within this phylum, a rich and diverse presence of Salinibacter relatives was found in the saltiest part of the lake. Lake Tebenquiche included several novel microorganisms of environmental importance and appeared as a large unexplored reservoir of unknown bacteria.     

Viability and potential for immigration of airborne bacteria from Africa that reach high mountain lakes in Europe

We have analysed the diversity of the bacteria, which grow after addition of concentrated airborne particles and desert dust in different microcosms combinations with water samples from oligotrophic alpine lakes. We used, on the one hand, airborne bacteria transported by an African dust plume and collected in a high mountain area in the central Pyrenees (Spain). On the other hand, we collected desert dust in Mauritania ( c . 3000 km distance, and a few days estimated airborne journey), a known source region for dust storms in West Africa, which originates many of the dust plumes landing on Europe. In all the dust-amended treatments we consistently observed bacterial growth of common phyla usually found in freshwater ecosystems, i.e. Alpha -, Beta - and Gammaproteobacteria , Actinobacteria , and a few Bacteroidetes , but with different composition based on lake water pretreatment and dust type. Overall, we tentatively split the bacterial community in (i) typical freshwater non-airborne bacteria, (ii) cosmopolitan long-distance airborne bacteria, (iii) non-freshwater low-distance airborne bacteria, (iv) non-freshwater long-distance airborne soil bacteria and (v) freshwater non-soil airborne bacteria. We identified viable long-distance airborne bacteria as immigrants in alpine lakes (e.g. Sphingomonas -like) but also viable putative airborne pathogens with the potential to grow in remote alpine areas ( Acinetobacter -like and Arthrobacter -like). Generation of atmospheric aerosols and remote dust deposition is a global process, largely enhanced by perturbations linked to the global change, and high mountain lakes are very convenient worldwide model systems for monitoring global-scale bacterial dispersion and pathogens entries in remote pristine environments.     

Comparative analysis of biodiversity in the planktonic and biofilm bacterial communities in Lake Baikal

Bacterial communities of the water and the biofilm formed during five years on an artificial substrate in Lake Baikal were studied by the pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene fragments; taxonomic diversity of bacterial communities and differences in their structure were revealed. The biofilm community contained mainly representatives of three phyla: Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria; the amounts of other groups were within 1%. Bacterial community of the plankton was more heterogeneous; along with the dominant phyla (Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, and Proteobacteria) 15% of the members were of the other phyla. The use of pyrosequencing allowed to reveal 35 bacterial phyla in Lake Baikal, some of which were identified for the first time; moreover, minor groups of microorganisms (including only several sequences), which were not earlier determined by other molecular methods were found.     

Bacterial Diversity and Geochemical Profiles in Sediments from Eutrophic Azorean Lakes

In the Azores, the advanced trophic state of the lakes requires a fast intervention to achieve the good ecological status prescribed by the Water Framework Directive. Despite the considerable effort made to describe the phytoplankton growing on the water column, the lack of information regarding the microbial processes in sediments is still high. Thus, for the successful implementation of internal management actions, the present work explored the relationships between geochemical profiles and dominant members of the bacterial community in sediments from eutrophic Azorean lakes. Lake Azul geochemical profiles were quite homogeneous for all parameters, while in lake Furnas the total iron profile presented a peak below the aerobic layer. For lake Verde, the concentrations of all studied parameters (20 ± 2% loss-on-ignition; 2.10 ± 0.08 mg g^?1 total phosphorus; 1.31 ± 0.50 mg g^?1 total nitrogen; 8.06 ± 0.13 mg g^?1 total iron) in the uppermost sediment layer were approximately two times higher than the ones in sediments from other lakes, decreasing with sediment depth. The higher amounts of phosphorus and organic matter in lake Verde suggested a higher internal contribution of phosphorus to eutrophication. The dominant members of the sediment bacterial community, investigated by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, were mostly affiliated to Proteobacteria phylum (Alpha-, Delta-, and Gamma-subclasses), group Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi and phylum Chloroflexi. The Cyanobacteria phylum was solely detected in sediments from lake Verde and lake Furnas that presented the highest amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus both in the water column and sediments, while the other phyla were detected in sediments from the three studied lakes. In conclusion, management measurers to achieve the good ecological status until 2015 should be distinct for the different lakes taking into account the relative magnitude of the nutrient sources and the bacterial diversity in sediments.     

Novel and Unexpected Prokaryotic Diversity in Water and Sediments of the Alkaline,Hypersaline Lakes of the Wadi An Natrun,Egypt

The phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial and archaeal community in the water and sediments of three large lakes of the Wadi An Natrun was investigated using 16S rRNA clone libraries. The bacterial community was diverse: 769 clones formed 345 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) defined at 99% 16S rRNA sequence identity. The bacterial community in both the water and sediments of the lakes was dominated by clones affiliated with the low G + C Gram-type-positive group, alpha-proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, (11-39, 11-30, and 10-37% of OTUs observed, respectively), patterns that have been observed in previously described alkaline, athalassohaline systems. However, a relatively high proportion of Firmicutess-related clones in the water of the lakes and alpha-proteobacteria in the sediments was observed. The bacterial community composition of the water and sediment of the same lake and of different lakes was significantly different (p < 0.05). Operational taxonomic units related to the gamma-proteobacteria were more abundant in the sediment of Lake Fazda, whereas the sediment of Lake UmRisha was dominated by members of the delta-proteobacteria. The proportion of gamma-proteobacterial and Bacteroidetes-affiliated OTUs were predominant in the water of Lake UmRisha and differed significantly from other lake waters (chi-squared analysis, p < or = 0.01). The more oxygenated and dilute nature of Lake Hamra was reflected in its microbial community composition, with the abundance of Bacillales sequences in the water, the absence of Halanaerobiales, Clostridiales, and Archaea in the water, and the presence of representatives of more phyla such as the Actinobacteria, Spirochaetes, and Verrucomicrobia. The archaeal community composition appeared less diverse: 589 clones resulted in 198 OTUs defined at 99% 16S rRNA sequence identity, and all sequences fell into the phylum Euryarchaeota. Phylogenetic analysis showed that many of the sequences were distantly related (83-90% 16S rRNA sequence identity) to cultured and uncultured archaea, with many clones forming clusters that branched deeply within the Euryarchaeota. Forty-two and 53% of the bacterial and archaeal clones had less than 90% 16S rRNA sequence identity to previously described sequences. This indicates that the water and sediments of the Wadi An Natrun harbor a unique and novel prokaryotic diversity that is different from what has been described among other alkaline, athalassohaline lakes.     

罗氏沼虾育苗期浮游细菌群落演替模式、驱动因素及其生物标志物

为了探究罗氏沼虾(Macrobrachium rosenbergii)育苗期浮游细菌群落的时间动态和组装机制,对3个苗种厂的全育苗周期进行持续追踪,利用16S rRNA扩增子测序评估了罗氏沼虾幼苗发育过程中浮游细菌群落的动态演替、环境驱动因素、微生物标志物和共现网络。细菌群落的α-多样性在育苗期呈U型分布规律,群落相似性遵循时间衰减模式,群落周转率为0.011。随着虾苗的发育,微杆菌科(Microbacteriaceae)(放线菌门:Actinobacteria)和冷形菌科(Cryomorphaceae)(拟杆菌门:Bacteroidetes)的相对丰度显著增加(P<0.05),而拟杆菌门中的黄杆菌科(Flavobacteriaceae)和藏红花黄色线菌科(Crocinitomicaceae)的比重下降。pH是影响浮游细菌群落多样性和组成的最主要的环境驱动因素。利用随机森林分析,鉴定了12个幼苗发育相关的微生物标志物,其中伯克氏菌科(Burkholderiaceae)和圆杆菌科(Cyclobacteriaceae)分别是育苗早期(1—2d)和中期(8—10d)的指示性类群,而腐螺...     

Homogenisation of water and sediment bacterial communities in a shallow lake (lake Balihe,China)

1. Planktonic and benthic bacterial communities hold central roles in the functioning of freshwater ecosystems and mediate key ecosystem services such as primary production and nutrient remineralisation. Although it is clear that such communities vary in composition both within and between lakes, the environmental factors and processes shaping the diversity and composition of freshwater bacteria are still not fully understood.
2. In order to assess seasonal and spatial variability in lake bacterial communities and identify environmental factors underpinning biogeographical patterns, we performed a large-scale sampling campaign with paired water and sediment sample collection at 18 locations during four seasons in Lake Balihe, a subtropical shallow fish-farming lake in mid-eastern China.
3. Pelagic and benthic bacterial communities were distinctly different in terms of diversity, taxonomic composition and community structure, with Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Cyanobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria dominating lake water, and Acidobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Gammaproteobacteria and Deltaproteobacteria dominating sediment. Nevertheless, these two communities had stronger spatial concordance and overlap in taxa during spring and autumn seasons. Together, the main drivers of both the spatial and temporal variations in Lake Balihe bacterial communities were identified as water temperature, turbidity, nitrogen and phosphorus availability, and thermal stratification controlled by wind-mixing and activity of the dense farmed fish populations. Notably, populations affiliated with Firmicutes, known to be abundant in fish gut microbiome, were especially abundant in the summer season and locations where high fish biomass was found, suggesting a potential link between fish gut microbiome and the pelagic bacterial communities.
4. Our findings demonstrated seasonal homogenisation of pelagic and benthic bacterial communities linked to marked shifts in a set of seasonally-driven environmental variables including water temperature and nutrient availability.

     

胜利油藏不同时间细菌群落结构的比较

利用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)和构建16S rRNA基因克隆文库2种方法,对孤岛油田两口井(注水井G和采油井L)在相距9个月的2个时间点(A和B)所采集样品的细菌群落结构进行了比较。DGGE图谱聚类分析表明注水井在2个时间点的微生物群落结构相似性为48.1%,而采油井的相似性只有28.7%。16S rRNA基因克隆文库结果表明,A时间点样品G中的优势菌群为Betaproteobacteria、Gammaproteobacteria,还有Deferribacteres、Firmicutes、Bacteroidetes等;而样品L中,Gammaproteobacteria中的Moraxellaceae含量达到97%。B时间点G中除了优势菌Betaproteobacteria之外,Deferribacteres的数量显著增加,成为优势菌;而L在B时间点优势菌除Gammaproteobacteria外,还有Betaproteobacteria和Firmicutes。采油井中的微生物群落结构随时间发生了显著改变,而注水井变化不显著。这一结果部分揭示了微生物采油过程中地层微生物群落的变化规律,有助于进一步阐明微生物驱油的机理。     

Planktonic bacterial community composition of an extremely shallow soda pond during a phytoplankton bloom revealed by cultivation and molecular cloning

Böddi-szék is one of the shallow soda ponds located in the Kiskunság National Park, Hungary. In June 2008, immediately prior to drying out, an extensive algal bloom dominated by a green alga (Oocystis submarina Lagerheim) was observed in the extremely saline and alkaline water of the pond. The aim of the present study was to reveal the phylogenetic diversity of the bacterial communities inhabiting the water of Böddi-szék during the blooming event. Using two different selective media, altogether 110 aerobic bacterial strains were cultivated. According to the sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, most of the strains belonged to alkaliphilic or alkalitolerant and moderately halophilic species of the genera Bacillus and Gracilibacillus (Firmicutes), Algoriphagus and Aquiflexum (Bacteroidetes), Alkalimonas and Halomonas (Gammaproteobacteria). Other strains were closely related to alkaliphilic and phototrophic purple non-sulfur bacteria of the genera Erythrobacter and Rhodobaca (Alphaproteobacteria). Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene-based clone library indicated that most of the total of 157 clone sequences affiliated with the anoxic phototrophic bacterial genera of Rhodobaca and Rhodobacter (Alphaproteobacteria), Ectothiorhodospira (Gammaproteobacteria) and Heliorestis (Firmicutes). Phylotypes related to the phylum Bacteroidetes formed the second most abundant group. Clones related to the mainly anaerobic and alkaliphilic bacterial genera of Anoxynatronum (Firmicutes), Spirochaeta (Spirochaetes) and Desulfonatronum (Deltaproteobacteria) were also abundant. Further clone sequences showed less than 95 % similarity values to cultivated species of the phyla Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Deinococcus-Thermus, Fibrobacteres, Gemmatimonadetes and Lentisphaerae.     

Geomicrobiological Changes in Two Ephemeral Desert Playa Lakes in the Western United States

The geochemistry and microbiology of two ephemeral playa lakes in the Western United States, Surprise Valley Alkali Lake (SVAL) and Eldorado Playa (EP), were examined over one wetting cycle, revealing dramatic temporal changes in suspended mineralogy, aqueous chemistry, and bacterial populations. In SVAL the predominant suspended mineral changed from smectite to vermiculite and clinoptilolite, which led to a depletion of soluble Mg²⁺. Nitrate became depleted in both playas as a result of biological nitrogen demand imparted by unusually dense microbial communities reaching ～1 × 10⁸ cultivable heterotrophs per ml of water. One hundred eighty eight bacterial isolates were obtained, representing sixty phylotypes and four phyla: Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, and Firmicutes. Phylogenetic analyses suggested that the microbial communities reflected different phases of succession, with SVAL changing from a diverse community with abundant Yonghaparkia to a less diverse late summer community with abundant Bacteroidetes and Proteobacteria such as Loktanella, Rhodobaca, Saccharospirillum, Flexibacter, and phylogenetically novel members of the Flexibacteriaceae. In EP, a diverse assemblage of bacteria often associated with soils was replaced very quickly by a much less even community dominated by Yonghaparkia, Sandarakinorhabdus, and relatives of Belliella baltica. Strikingly, the early summer microbial community from SVAL was not significantly different from the EP community that developed within one week of flooding, even though these playas are almost 1000 km apart, whereas sympatric communities in different phases of succession were different. To our knowledge, this is one of the first geomicrobiological studies of a recharge playa, the dominant playa type worldwide.     

Cold-active chemoorganotrophic bacteria from permanently ice-covered Lake Hoare, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica

Eight strains of chemoorganotrophic bacteria were isolated from the water column of Lake Hoare, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, using cold enrichment temperatures. The isolates were Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria and Actinobacteria spp. All isolates grew at 0 degrees C, and all but one grew at subzero temperatures characteristic of the water column of Lake Hoare. Growth temperature optima varied among isolates, but the majority showed optima near 15 degrees C, indicative of cold-active phenotypes. One isolate was truly psychrophilic, growing optimally around 10 degrees C and not above 20 degrees C. Half of the isolates grew at 2% salt while the other half did not, and all but one isolate grew at 2 atm of O(2). Our isolates are the first prokaryotes from the water column of Lake Hoare to be characterized phylogenetically and physiologically and show that cold-active species of at least two major phyla of Bacteria inhabit Lake Hoare.     

The plankton community of a young, eutrophic, Antarctic saline lake

A shallow, saline lake (Rookery Lake) close to the sea and surrounded by a penguin rookery was investigated during the austral spring and summer of 1996/1997. The proximity to the sea means that the lake is likely to have been formed recently during isostatic uplift. Inputs of carbon and nutrients from the penguin rookery have rendered Rookery Lake eutrophic compared with other brackish and saline lakes in the Vestfold Hills. Chlorophyll a concentration, bacterioplankton, heterotrophic nanoflagellate and phototrophic nanoflagellate abundances were all significantly higher than in other non-enriched lakes. The high productivity created seasonal anoxia during winter and spring below ice cover. The ciliate community resembled the marine community, and was dissimilar to that seen in older saline lakes within the Vestfold Hills. Thus Rookery Lake provides valuable evidence of the impact of natural eutrophication on an Antarctic lake, as well as of the evolution of the typical microbial community which dominates the older lakes of the Vestfold Hills. Accepted: 2 May 1999     

Functional Diversity of Bacterioplankton in Three North Florida Freshwater Lakes over an Annual Cycle

The phylogenetic diversity of freshwater bacterioplankton is widely known; however, there is minimal information on the functional diversity of the bacterial communities in these systems. Understanding the functional diversity of freshwater bacterial communities is important because heterotrophic bacteria can be impacted by anthropogenic perturbation, which in turn can alter biogeochemical cycling. The objective of this study was to use Biolog EcoPlates to acquire spatial and temporal community-level physiological profiles (CLPPs) for three freshwater lakes of different trophic levels and to assess the phylogenetic affiliation of the bacteria responsible for utilizing the various carbon guilds within them by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). CLPP results showed that bacterial communities utilized the carbon guilds similarly between sites within the three lakes. However, when the metabolic profile of each lake was compared, Lake Bradford and Moore Lake were more similar to one another than to Lake Munson, the eutrophic lake. Additionally, although the bacteria that utilized the five carbon guilds included representatives from the classes α-, β-, γ-Proteobacteria, Flavobacteria and Sphingobacteria, Lake Munson had the largest number of Flavobacteria and γ-Proteobacteria in comparison to Moore Lake and Lake Bradford. Overall, Biolog analysis was useful in identifying differences in the functional diversity of bacterial communities between lakes of different trophic statuses and can be used as a tool to assess ecosystem health.     

Analyses of soil bacterial diversity of the Schirmacher Oasis,Antarctica

Schirmacher Oasis, Antarctica, is a region with relatively large exposed area and consisted of many freshwater lakes. Nevertheless, only a few studies were done on the bacterial diversity of this region. Hence, this project was undertaken to determine the bacterial community in soil samples collected from the Schirmacher Oasis using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amplified 16S rDNA fragments. A total of 79 partial 16S rDNA sequences were obtained from the excised DGGE bands, which corresponded to 63 different operational taxonomic units (OTUs) representing bacteria from seven different phyla. The most dominant phyla in descending order were Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, Cyanobacteria and BRC1. There were 5.4 % of unclassified bacteria which cannot be grouped into any of the existing phyla. Eighty-seven percent of the OTUs had highest similarity with the uncultured bacteria from the NCBI GenBank database. Thirty-two percent of the OTUs were similar to bacteria reported in other parts of the Antarctica, while the others were related to bacteria found elsewhere outside the Antarctic.