• Media type: E-Article
  • Title: Phylogenetic and Metabolic Diversity of Planctomycetes from Anaerobic, Sulfide- and Sulfur-Rich Zodletone Spring, Oklahoma
  • Contributor: Elshahed, Mostafa S.; Youssef, Noha H.; Luo, Qingwei; Najar, Fares Z.; Roe, Bruce A.; Sisk, Tracy M.; Bühring, Solveig I.; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe; Krumholz, Lee R.
  • imprint: American Society for Microbiology, 2007
  • Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
  • Language: English
  • DOI: 10.1128/aem.00591-07
  • ISSN: 0099-2240; 1098-5336
  • Origination:
  • Footnote:
  • Description: <jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title> <jats:p> We investigated the phylogenetic diversity and metabolic capabilities of members of the phylum <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> in the anaerobic, sulfide-saturated sediments of a mesophilic spring (Zodletone Spring) in southwestern Oklahoma. Culture-independent analyses of 16S rRNA gene sequences generated using <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> -biased primer pairs suggested that an extremely diverse community of <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> is present at the spring. Although sequences that are phylogenetically affiliated with cultured heterotrophic <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> were identified, the majority of the sequences belonged to several globally distributed, as-yet-uncultured <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> lineages. Using complex organic media (aqueous extracts of the spring sediments and rumen fluid), we isolated two novel strains that belonged to the <jats:italic>Pirellula-Rhodopirellula-Blastopirellula</jats:italic> clade within the <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> . The two strains had identical 16S rRNA gene sequences, and their closest relatives were isolates from Kiel Fjord (Germany), Keauhou Beach (HI), a marine aquarium, and tissues of marine organisms ( <jats:italic>Aplysina</jats:italic> sp. sponges and postlarvae of the giant tiger prawn <jats:italic>Penaeus monodon</jats:italic> ). The closest recognized cultured relative of strain Zi62 was <jats:italic>Blastopirellula marina</jats:italic> (93.9% sequence similarity). Detailed characterization of strain Zi62 revealed its ability to reduce elemental sulfur to sulfide under anaerobic conditions, as well as its ability to produce acids from sugars; both characteristics may potentially allow strain Zi62 to survive and grow in the anaerobic, sulfide- and sulfur-rich environment at the spring source. Overall, this work indicates that anaerobic metabolic abilities are widely distributed among all major <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> lineages and suggests carbohydrate fermentation and sulfur reduction as possible mechanisms employed by heterotrophic <jats:italic>Planctomycetes</jats:italic> for growth and survival under anaerobic conditions. </jats:p>
  • Access State: Open Access