Archaeal communities associated with shallow to deep subseafloor sediments of the New Caledonia Basin - Université de Bretagne Occidentale
Journal Articles Environmental Microbiology Year : 2009

Archaeal communities associated with shallow to deep subseafloor sediments of the New Caledonia Basin

Abstract

The distribution of the archaeal communities in deep subseafloor sediments [0-36 m below the seafloor (mbsf)] from the New Caledonia and Fairway Basins was investigated using DNA- and RNA-derived 16S rRNA clone libraries, functional genes and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). A new method, Co-Migration DGGE (CM-DGGE), was developed to access selectively the active archaeal diversity. Prokaryotic cell abundances at the open-ocean sites were on average approximately 3.5 times lower than at a site under terrestrial influence. The sediment surface archaeal community (0-1.5 mbsf) was characterized by active Marine Group 1 (MG-1) Archaea that co-occurred with ammonia monooxygenase gene (amoA) sequences affiliated to a group of uncultured sedimentary Crenarchaeota. However, the anoxic subsurface methane-poor sediments (below 1.5 mbsf) were dominated by less active archaeal communities, such as the Thermoplasmatales, Marine Benthic Group D and other lineages probably involved in the methane cycle (Methanosarcinales, ANME-2 and DSAG/MBG-B). Moreover, the archaeal diversity of some sediment layers was restricted to only one lineage (Uncultured Euryarchaeota, DHVE6, MBG-B, MG-1 and SAGMEG). Sequences forming two clusters within the Thermococcales order were also present in these cold subseafloor sediments, suggesting that these uncultured putative thermophilic archaeal communities might have originated from a different environment. This study shows a transition between surface and subsurface sediment archaeal communities.

Dates and versions

hal-00617523 , version 1 (29-08-2011)

Identifiers

Cite

Erwan Roussel, Anne-Laure Sauvadet, Carine Chaduteau, Yves Fouquet, Jean-Luc Charlou, et al.. Archaeal communities associated with shallow to deep subseafloor sediments of the New Caledonia Basin. Environmental Microbiology, 2009, 11 (9), pp.2446-2462. ⟨10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01976.x⟩. ⟨hal-00617523⟩
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