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 Sievert, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Kuever, J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Sievert, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Kuever, J.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Sievert, S. M.
Right arrow Articles by Kuever, J.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 1999, p. 3834-3842, Vol. 65, No. 9
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Spatial Heterogeneity of Bacterial Populations along an Environmental Gradient at a Shallow Submarine Hydrothermal Vent near Milos Island (Greece)

Stefan M. Sievert,1 Thorsten Brinkhoff,2,dagger Gerard Muyzer,2,Dagger Wiebke Ziebis,3 and Jan Kuever1,*

Department of Microbiology,1 Molecular Ecology Group,2 and Department of Biogeochemistry,3 Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, D-28359 Bremen, Germany

Received 19 April 1999/Accepted 16 June 1999

The spatial heterogeneity of bacterial populations at a shallow-water hydrothermal vent in the Aegean Sea close to the island of Milos (Greece) was examined at two different times by using acridine orange staining for total cell counts, cultivation-based techniques, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments. Concurrent with measurements of geochemical parameters, samples were taken along a transect from the center of the vent to the surrounding area. Most-probable-number (MPN) counts of metabolically defined subpopulations generally constituted a minor fraction of the total cell counts; both counting procedures revealed the highest cell numbers in a transition zone from the strongly hydrothermally influenced sediments to normal sedimentary conditions. Total cell counts ranged from 3.2 × 105 cells ml-1 in the water overlying the sediments to 6.4 × 108 cells g (wet weight) of sediment-1. MPN counts of chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria varied between undetectable and 1.4 × 106 cells g-1. MPN counts for sulfate-reducing bacteria and dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria ranged from 8 to 1.4 × 105 cells g-1 and from undetectable to 1.4 × 106 cells g-1, respectively. DGGE revealed a trend from a diverse range of bacterial populations which were present in approximately equal abundance in the transition zone to a community dominated by few populations close to the center of the vent. Temperature was found to be an important parameter in determining this trend. However, at one sampling time this trend was not discernible, possibly due to storm-induced disturbance of the upper sediment layers.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, D-28359 Bremen, Germany. Phone: 49-421-2028734. Fax: 49-421-2028690. E-mail: jkuever{at}mpi-bremen.de.

dagger Present address: Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, Carl von Ossietzky Universität, P.O. Box 2503, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.

Dagger Present address: Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, NL-1790 AB Den Burg, The Netherlands.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, September 1999, p. 3834-3842, Vol. 65, No. 9
0099-2240/99/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1999, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Hirayama, H., Sunamura, M., Takai, K., Nunoura, T., Noguchi, T., Oida, H., Furushima, Y., Yamamoto, H., Oomori, T., Horikoshi, K. (2007). Culture-Dependent and -Independent Characterization of Microbial Communities Associated with a Shallow Submarine Hydrothermal System Occurring within a Coral Reef off Taketomi Island, Japan. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7642-7656 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Meyer, B., Kuever, J. (2007). Molecular Analysis of the Diversity of Sulfate-Reducing and Sulfur-Oxidizing Prokaryotes in the Environment, Using aprA as Functional Marker Gene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 7664-7679 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Takai, K., Miyazaki, M., Nunoura, T., Hirayama, H., Oida, H., Furushima, Y., Yamamoto, H., Horikoshi, K. (2006). Sulfurivirga caldicuralii gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel microaerobic, thermophilic, thiosulfate-oxidizing chemolithoautotroph, isolated from a shallow marine hydrothermal system occurring in a coral reef, Japan.. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 56: 1921-1929 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Rinke, C., Schmitz-Esser, S., Stoecker, K., Nussbaumer, A. D., Molnar, D. A., Vanura, K., Wagner, M., Horn, M., Ott, J. A., Bright, M. (2006). "Candidatus Thiobios zoothamnicoli," an Ectosymbiotic Bacterium Covering the Giant Marine Ciliate Zoothamnium niveum.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 2014-2021 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Cytryn, E., van Rijn, J., Schramm, A., Gieseke, A., de Beer, D., Minz, D. (2005). Identification of Bacteria Potentially Responsible for Oxic and Anoxic Sulfide Oxidation in Biofilters of a Recirculating Mariculture System. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6134-6141 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • De Wever, A., Muylaert, K., Van der Gucht, K., Pirlot, S., Cocquyt, C., Descy, J.-P., Plisnier, P.-D., Vyverman, W. (2005). Bacterial Community Composition in Lake Tanganyika: Vertical and Horizontal Heterogeneity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 5029-5037 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Flies, C. B., Peplies, J., Schuler, D. (2005). Combined Approach for Characterization of Uncultivated Magnetotactic Bacteria from Various Aquatic Environments. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 2723-2731 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Miroshnichenko, M. L., Kostrikina, N. A., Chernyh, N. A., Pimenov, N. V, Tourova, T. P., Antipov, A. N., Spring, S., Stackebrandt, E., Bonch-Osmolovskaya, E. A. (2003). Caldithrix abyssi gen. nov., sp. nov., a nitrate-reducing, thermophilic, anaerobic bacterium isolated from a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent, represents a novel bacterial lineage. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 53: 323-329 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wirsen, C. O., Sievert, S. M., Cavanaugh, C. M., Molyneaux, S. J., Ahmad, A., Taylor, L. T., DeLong, E. F., Taylor, C. D. (2002). Characterization of an Autotrophic Sulfide-Oxidizing Marine Arcobacter sp. That Produces Filamentous Sulfur. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 68: 316-325 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Takai, K., Komatsu, T., Inagaki, F., Horikoshi, K. (2001). Distribution of Archaea in a Black Smoker Chimney Structure. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 3618-3629 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Yu, Z., Mohn, W. W. (2001). Bacterial Diversity and Community Structure in an Aerated Lagoon Revealed by Ribosomal Intergenic Spacer Analyses and 16S Ribosomal DNA Sequencing. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 1565-1574 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Campbell, B. J., Cary, S. C. (2001). Characterization of a Novel Spirochete Associated with the Hydrothermal Vent Polychaete Annelid, Alvinella pompejana. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 110-117 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Ravenschlag, K., Sahm, K., Amann, R. (2001). Quantitative Molecular Analysis of the Microbial Community in Marine Arctic Sediments (Svalbard). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 387-395 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Dahllöf, I., Baillie, H., Kjelleberg, S. (2000). rpoB-Based Microbial Community Analysis Avoids Limitations Inherent in 16S rRNA Gene Intraspecies Heterogeneity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3376-3380 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sievert, S. M., Kuever, J., Muyzer, G. (2000). Identification of 16S Ribosomal DNA-Defined Bacterial Populations at a Shallow Submarine Hydrothermal Vent near Milos Island (Greece). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 3102-3109 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Sievert, S. M., Ziebis, W., Kuever, J., Sahm, K. (2000). Relative abundance of Archaea and Bacteria along a thermal gradient of a shallow-water hydrothermal vent quantified by rRNA slot-blot hybridization. Microbiology 146: 1287-1293 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Robinson, C. (2000). Plankton gross production and respiration in the shallow water hydrothermal systems of Milos, Aegean Sea. J PLANKTON RES 22: 887-906 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Brinkhoff, T., Sievert, S. M., Kuever, J., Muyzer, G. (1999). Distribution and Diversity of Sulfur-Oxidizing Thiomicrospira spp. at a Shallow-Water Hydrothermal Vent in the Aegean Sea (Milos, Greece). Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 3843-3849 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»