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 Blank, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Pace, N. R.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Blank, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Pace, N. R.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Blank, C. E.
Right arrow Articles by Pace, N. R.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2002, p. 5123-5135, Vol. 68, No. 10
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.10.5123-5135.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Microbial Composition of Near-Boiling Silica-Depositing Thermal Springs throughout Yellowstone National Park

Carrine E. Blank,1,2* Sherry L. Cady,3,4,{dagger} and Norman R. Pace1,2,{ddagger}

Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720,1 Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309,2 Exobiology Branch, NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California 94035,3 Department of Geology, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 972074

Received 4 February 2002/ Accepted 1 July 2002

The extent of hyperthermophilic microbial diversity associated with siliceous sinter (geyserite) was characterized in seven near-boiling silica-depositing springs throughout Yellowstone National Park using environmental PCR amplification of small-subunit rRNA genes (SSU rDNA), large-subunit rDNA, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). We found that Thermocrinis ruber, a member of the order Aquificales, is ubiquitous, an indication that primary production in these springs is driven by hydrogen oxidation. Several other lineages with no known close relatives were identified that branch among the hyperthermophilic bacteria. Although they all branch deep in the bacterial tree, the precise phylogenetic placement of many of these lineages is unresolved at this time. While some springs contained a fair amount of phylogenetic diversity, others did not. Within the same spring, communities in the subaqueous environment were not appreciably different than those in the splash zone at the edge of the pool, although a greater number of phylotypes was found along the pool's edge. Also, microbial community composition appeared to have little correlation with the type of sinter morphology. The number of cell morphotypes identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and scanning electron microscopy was greater than the number of phylotypes in SSU clone libraries. Despite little variation in Thermocrinis ruber SSU sequences, abundant variation was found in the hypervariable ITS region. The distribution of ITS sequence types appeared to be correlated with distinct morphotypes of Thermocrinis ruber in different pools. Therefore, species- or subspecies-level divergences are present but not detectable in highly conserved SSU sequences.

* Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, Campus Box 1169, One Brookings Dr., St. Louis, MO 63130-4899. Phone: (314) 935-4456. Fax: (314) 935-7361. E-mail: blank{at}levee.wustl.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Department of Geology, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207.

{ddagger} Present address: Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 2002, p. 5123-5135, Vol. 68, No. 10
0099-2240/02/$04.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.68.10.5123-5135.2002
Copyright © 2002, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Davis, J. P., Youssef, N. H., Elshahed, M. S. (2009). Assessment of the Diversity, Abundance, and Ecological Distribution of Members of Candidate Division SR1 Reveals a High Level of Phylogenetic Diversity but Limited Morphotypic Diversity. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 4139-4148 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Boomer, S. M., Noll, K. L., Geesey, G. G., Dutton, B. E. (2009). Formation of Multilayered Photosynthetic Biofilms in an Alkaline Thermal Spring in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 75: 2464-2475 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Haouari, O., Fardeau, M.-L., Cayol, J.-L., Casiot, C., Elbaz-Poulichet, F., Hamdi, M., Joseph, M., Ollivier, B. (2008). Desulfotomaculum hydrothermale sp. nov., a thermophilic sulfate-reducing bacterium isolated from a terrestrial Tunisian hot spring. Int. J. Syst. Evol. Microbiol. 58: 2529-2535 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hall, J. R., Mitchell, K. R., Jackson-Weaver, O., Kooser, A. S., Cron, B. R., Crossey, L. J., Takacs-Vesbach, C. D. (2008). Molecular Characterization of the Diversity and Distribution of a Thermal Spring Microbial Community by Using rRNA and Metabolic Genes. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 4910-4922 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schoenfeld, T., Patterson, M., Richardson, P. M., Wommack, K. E., Young, M., Mead, D. (2008). Assembly of Viral Metagenomes from Yellowstone Hot Springs. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 4164-4174 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Schouten, S., van der Meer, M. T. J., Hopmans, E. C., Rijpstra, W. I. C., Reysenbach, A.-L., Ward, D. M., Sinninghe Damste, J. S. (2007). Archaeal and Bacterial Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraether Lipids in Hot Springs of Yellowstone National Park. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 73: 6181-6191 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kyle, J. E., Schroeder, P. A. (2007). ROLE OF SMECTITE IN SILICEOUS-SINTER FORMATION AND MICROBIAL-TEXTURE PRESERVATION: OCTOPUS SPRING, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING, USA. Clays and Clay Minerals 55: 189-199 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • JONES, B., RENAUT, R. W. (2006). GROWTH OF SILICEOUS SPICULES IN ACIDIC HOT SPRINGS, WAIOTAPU GEOTHERMAL AREA, NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND. PALAIOS 21: 406-423 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Nealson, K. H. (2005). Hydrogen and energy flow as "sensed" by molecular genetics. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 3889-3890 [Full Text]  
  • Spear, J. R., Walker, J. J., McCollom, T. M., Pace, N. R. (2005). From The Cover: Hydrogen and bioenergetics in the Yellowstone geothermal ecosystem. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 2555-2560 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Palumbo, A. V., Schryver, J. C., Fields, M. W., Bagwell, C. E., Zhou, J.-Z., Yan, T., Liu, X., Brandt, C. C. (2004). Coupling of Functional Gene Diversity and Geochemical Data from Environmental Samples. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 6525-6534 [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»