Authors: Roy Mackenzie Javier A Barros Miguel A Martínez
Publish Date: 2011/03/23
Volume: 27, Issue: 11, Pages: 2499-2504
Abstract
Aerobic heterotrophic bacteria present in the surface water of three cold and nutrientpoor lakes in the Chilean Patagonia Alto Reino Las Dos Torres and Venus were analysed for genetic similarity and metabolic diversity using 16S ribosomal DNA and the Biolog EcoPlateTM system respectively Bacterial fingerprints of water samples in enriched and nonenriched nutrient broth demonstrated a 50 fingerprinting similarity between the lakes Metabolic activity was also similar However the Biolog EcoPlateTM system carbon substrates revealed functional diversity Lake Las Dos Torres showed the most fingerprinting similarity between enriched and nonenriched cold water samples The amounts of living and viable bacteria were also higher in this lake’s water sample suggesting a predominance of facultative oligotrophic groups DNA sequencing analysis demonstrated the presence of phylum Bacteroidetes in Lake Alto Reino phyla Bacteroidetes and Gammaproteobacteria in Lake Las Dos Torres and phyla Bacteroidetes Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria in Lake Venus Although each lake had a unique bacterial community structure the different bacterial groups may be performing similar metabolic functions given the similarity in extreme environmental conditionsThe authors acknowledge the following grant support FONDECYT No 1070497 and FONDECYT No 1100462 and DIUC PATAGONIA No 2100360371SP the Research Center for Patagonian Ecosystems and the technical support of Ruth Contreras and the editing and translation services of Eileen M McNerney
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