Evidence for Niche Partitioning Revealed by the Distribution of Sulfur Oxidation Genes Collected from Areas of a Terrestrial Sulfidic Spring with Differing Geochemical Conditions

Abstract

The diversity and phylogenetic significance of bacterial genes in the environment has been well studied, but comparatively little attention has been devoted to understanding the functional significance of different variations of the same metabolic gene that occur in the same environment. We analyzed the geographic distribution of 16S rRNA pyrosequences and soxB genes along a geochemical gradient in a terrestrial sulfidic spring to identify how different taxonomic variations of the soxB gene were naturally distributed within the spring outflow channel and to identify possible evidence for altered SoxB enzyme function in nature. Distinct compositional differences between bacteria that utilize their SoxB enzyme in the Paracoccus sulfide oxidation pathway (e.g., Bradyrhizobium, Paracoccus, and Rhodovulum) and bacteria that utilize their SoxB enzyme in the branched pathway (e.g., Chlorobium, Thiothrix, Thiobacillus, Halothiobacillus, and Thiomonas) were identified. Different variations of the soxB genes were present at different locations within the spring outflow channel in a manner that significantly corresponded to geochemical conditions. The distribution of the different soxB gene sequence variations suggests that the enzymes encoded by these genes are functionally different and could be optimized to specific geochemical conditions that define niche space for bacteria capable of oxidizing reduced sulfur compounds.