This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Nüsslein, K.
Right arrow Articles by Tiedje, J. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Nüsslein, K.
Right arrow Articles by Tiedje, J. M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Nüsslein, K.
Right arrow Articles by Tiedje, J. M.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol, April 1998, p. 1283-1289, Vol. 64, No. 4
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Dominant and Rare Members of a Young Hawaiian Soil Bacterial Community with Small-Subunit Ribosomal DNA Amplified from DNA Fractionated on the Basis of Its Guanine and Cytosine Composition

Klaus Nüsslein1 and James M. Tiedje1,2,*

Center for Microbial Ecology,1 and Department of Crop and Soil Sciences,2 Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1325

Received 18 August 1997/Accepted 12 January 1998

The small-subunit ribosomal DNA (rDNA) diversity was found to be very high in a Hawaiian soil community that might be expected to have lower diversity than the communities in continental soils because the Hawaiian soil is geographically isolated and only 200 years old, is subjected to a constant climate, and harbors low plant diversity. Since an underlying community structure could not be revealed by analyzing the total eubacterial rDNA, we first fractionated the DNA on the basis of guanine-plus-cytosine (G+C) content by using bis-benzimidazole and equilibrium centrifugation and then analyzed the bacterial rDNA amplified from a fraction with a high biomass (63% G+C fraction) and a fraction with a low biomass (35% G+C fraction). The rDNA clone libraries were screened by amplified rDNA restriction analysis to determine phylotype distribution. The dominant biomass reflected by the 63% G+C fraction contained several dominant phylotypes, while the community members that were less successful (35% G+C fraction) did not show dominance but there was a very high diversity of phylotypes. Nucleotide sequence analysis revealed taxa belonging to the groups expected for the G+C contents used. The dominant phylotypes in the 63% G+C fraction were members of the Pseudomonas, Rhizobium-Agrobacterium, and Rhodospirillum assemblages, while all of the clones sequenced from the 35% G+C fraction were affiliated with several Clostridium assemblages. The two-step rDNA analysis used here uncovered more diversity than can be detected by direct rDNA analysis of total community DNA. The G+C separation step is also a way to detect some of the less dominant organisms in a community.


* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Center for Microbial Ecology, Plant and Soil Sciences Building, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1325. Phone: (517) 353-9021. Fax: (517) 353-2917. E-mail: tiedjej{at}pilot.msu.edu.




This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Rodriguez-Minguela, C. M., Apajalahti, J. H. A., Chai, B., Cole, J. R., Tiedje, J. M. (2009). Worldwide Prevalence of Class 2 Integrases outside the Clinical Setting Is Associated with Human Impact. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 5100-5110 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Morales, S. E., Cosart, T. F., Johnson, J. V., Holben, W. E. (2009). Extensive Phylogenetic Analysis of a Soil Bacterial Community Illustrates Extreme Taxon Evenness and the Effects of Amplicon Length, Degree of Coverage, and DNA Fractionation on Classification and Ecological Parameters. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 668-675 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Buckley, D. H., Huangyutitham, V., Hsu, S.-F., Nelson, T. A. (2007). Stable Isotope Probing with 15N2 Reveals Novel Noncultivated Diazotrophs in Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3196-3204 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Buckley, D. H., Huangyutitham, V., Hsu, S.-F., Nelson, T. A. (2007). Stable Isotope Probing with 15N Achieved by Disentangling the Effects of Genome G+C Content and Isotope Enrichment on DNA Density. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 3189-3195 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kanzler, B. E. M., Pfannes, K. R., Vogl, K., Overmann, J. (2005). Molecular Characterization of the Nonphotosynthetic Partner Bacterium in the Consortium "Chlorochromatium aggregatum". Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 7434-7441 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Stout, L. M., Nusslein, K. (2005). Shifts in Rhizoplane Communities of Aquatic Plants after Cadmium Exposure. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2484-2492 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dunfield, K. E., King, G. M. (2004). Molecular Analysis of Carbon Monoxide-Oxidizing Bacteria Associated with Recent Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 4242-4248 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Holben, W. E., Feris, K. P., Kettunen, A., Apajalahti, J. H. A. (2004). GC Fractionation Enhances Microbial Community Diversity Assessment and Detection of Minority Populations of Bacteria by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 2263-2270 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhou, J., Xia, B., Huang, H., Palumbo, A. V., Tiedje, J. M. (2004). Microbial Diversity and Heterogeneity in Sandy Subsurface Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 1723-1734 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • King, G. M. (2003). Contributions of Atmospheric CO and Hydrogen Uptake to Microbial Dynamics on Recent Hawaiian Volcanic Deposits. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 4067-4075 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Girvan, M. S., Bullimore, J., Pretty, J. N., Osborn, A. M., Ball, A. S. (2003). Soil Type Is the Primary Determinant of the Composition of the Total and Active Bacterial Communities in Arable Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 1800-1809 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Philippot, L., Piutti, S., Martin-Laurent, F., Hallet, S., Germon, J. C. (2002). Molecular Analysis of the Nitrate-Reducing Community from Unplanted and Maize-Planted Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 6121-6128 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Prieme, A., Braker, G., Tiedje, J. M. (2002). Diversity of Nitrite Reductase (nirK and nirS) Gene Fragments in Forested Upland and Wetland Soils. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 1893-1900 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Webster, G., Embley, T. M., Prosser, J. I. (2002). Grassland Management Regimens Reduce Small-Scale Heterogeneity and Species Diversity of {beta}-Proteobacterial Ammonia Oxidizer Populations. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 20-30 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Zhou, J., Xia, B., Treves, D. S., Wu, L.-Y., Marsh, T. L., O'Neill, R. V., Palumbo, A. V., Tiedje, J. M. (2002). Spatial and Resource Factors Influencing High Microbial Diversity in Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 326-334 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hughes, J. B., Hellmann, J. J., Ricketts, T. H., Bohannan, B. J. M. (2001). Counting the Uncountable: Statistical Approaches to Estimating Microbial Diversity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4399-4406 [Full Text]  
  • McCaig, A. E., Glover, L. A., Prosser, J. I. (2001). Numerical Analysis of Grassland Bacterial Community Structure under Different Land Management Regimens by Using 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequence Data and Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis Banding Patterns. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4554-4559 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Martinez, B., Tomkins, J., Wackett, L. P., Wing, R., Sadowsky, M. J. (2001). Complete Nucleotide Sequence and Organization of the Atrazine Catabolic Plasmid pADP-1 from Pseudomonas sp. Strain ADP. J. Bacteriol. 183: 5684-5697 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sessitsch, A., Weilharter, A., Gerzabek, M. H., Kirchmann, H., Kandeler, E. (2001). Microbial Population Structures in Soil Particle Size Fractions of a Long-Term Fertilizer Field Experiment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4215-4224 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Martin-Laurent, F., Philippot, L., Hallet, S., Chaussod, R., Germon, J. C., Soulas, G., Catroux, G. (2001). DNA Extraction from Soils: Old Bias for New Microbial Diversity Analysis Methods. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 2354-2359 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Phillips, C. J., Harris, D., Dollhopf, S. L., Gross, K. L., Prosser, J. I., Paul, E. A. (2000). Effects of Agronomic Treatments on Structure and Function of Ammonia-Oxidizing Communities. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 5410-5418 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Löffler, F. E., Sun, Q., Li, J., Tiedje, J. M. (2000). 16S rRNA Gene-Based Detection of Tetrachloroethene-Dechlorinating Desulfuromonas and Dehalococcoides Species. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1369-1374 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cho, J.-C., Kim, S.-J. (2000). Increase in Bacterial Community Diversity in Subsurface Aquifers Receiving Livestock Wastewater Input. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 956-965 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ravenschlag, K., Sahm, K., Pernthaler, J., Amann, R. (1999). High Bacterial Diversity in Permanently Cold Marine Sediments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 3982-3989 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nüsslein, K., Tiedje, J. M. (1999). Soil Bacterial Community Shift Correlated with Change from Forest to Pasture Vegetation in a Tropical Soil. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 3622-3626 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • McCaig, A. E., Glover, L. A., Prosser, J. I. (1999). Molecular Analysis of Bacterial Community Structure and Diversity in Unimproved and Improved Upland Grass Pastures. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1721-1730 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Barns, S. M., Takala, S. L., Kuske, C. R. (1999). Wide Distribution and Diversity of Members of the Bacterial Kingdom Acidobacterium in the Environment. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1731-1737 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tonolla, M., Demarta, A., Peduzzi, R., Hahn, D. (1999). In Situ Analysis of Phototrophic Sulfur Bacteria in the Chemocline of Meromictic Lake Cadagno (Switzerland). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1325-1330 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Tanner, M. A., Goebel, B. M., Dojka, M. A., Pace, N. R. (1998). Specific Ribosomal DNA Sequences from Diverse Environmental Settings Correlate with Experimental Contaminants. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 64: 3110-3113 [Abstract] [Full Text]