Phylogenetic diversity of soda lake alkaliphiles

Abstract: 16S rRNA genes from a range of aerobic chemoorganotrophic, alkaliphilic soda lake Bacteria and Archaea have been sequenced and subjected to phylogenetic analysis. Gram-negative alkaliphiles were found to be confined to the γ3 subdivision of the Proteobacteria, with many isolates related to the Halomonas/Deleya group. Gram-positive alkaliphiles were found in both high % G + C and low % G + C divisions of the Gram-positive lineage, with many isolates being related to the Bacillus group, others to Arthrobacter spp. Alkaliphilic Archaea were relatively closely related to members of the genera Natronococcus and Natronobacterium . An anaerobic, thermophilic isolate has been assigned to a new genus within the Thermotogales .