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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 119-126, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01350-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Abundance and Activity of Methanotrophic Bacteria in Littoral and Profundal Sediments of Lake Constance (Germany) {triangledown}

M. Rahalkar,{dagger} J. Deutzmann, B. Schink,* and I. Bussmann{ddagger}

Universität Konstanz, Fachbereich Biologie, LS Mikrobielle Ökologie, Fach M 654, D-78457 Constance, Germany

Received 17 June 2008/ Accepted 29 October 2008

The abundances and activities of aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) were compared in depth profiles of littoral and profundal sediments of Lake Constance, Germany. Abundances were determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting the pmoA gene and by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), and data were compared to methane oxidation rates calculated from high-resolution concentration profiles. qPCR using type I MOB-specific pmoA primers indicated that type I MOB represented a major proportion in both sediments at all depths. FISH indicated that in both sediments, type I MOB outnumbered type II MOB at least fourfold. Results obtained with both techniques indicated that in the littoral sediment, the highest numbers of methanotrophs were found at a depth of 2 to 3 cm, corresponding to the zone of highest methane oxidation activity, although no oxygen could be detected in this zone. In the profundal sediment, highest methane oxidation activities were found at a depth of 1 to 2 cm, while MOB abundance decreased gradually with sediment depth. In both sediments, MOB were also present at high numbers in deeper sediment layers where no methane oxidation activity could be observed.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Universität Konstanz, Fachbereich Biologie, LS Mikrobielle Ökologie, Fach M 654, D-78457 Constance, Germany. Phone: 49-7531-882140. Fax: 49-7531-884047. E-mail: Bernhard.Schink{at}uni-konstanz.de

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 7 November 2008.

{dagger} Present address: Allgemeine Mikrobiologie, Fachbereich 2, Universität Bremen, Postfach 33 04 40, D-28334 Bremen, Germany.

{ddagger} Present address: Alfred-Wegener Institut, Meeresstation Helgoland, Kurpromenade 201, 27498 Helgoland, Germany.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, January 2009, p. 119-126, Vol. 75, No. 1
0099-2240/09/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.01350-08
Copyright © 2009, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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