Abstract
Archaea play an important role in various biogeochemical cycles. They are known extremophiles inhabiting environments such as thermal springs or hydrothermal vents. Recent studies have revealed a significant abundance of Archaea in moderate environments, for example, temperate sea water. Nevertheless, the composition and ecosystem function of these marine archaeal communities is largely unknown. To assess diversity and composition of active archaeal communities in the German Bight, seven marine water samples were taken and studied by RNA-based analysis of ribosomal 16S rRNA. For this purpose, total RNA was extracted from the samples and converted to cDNA. Archaeal community structures were investigated by pyrosequencing-based analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons generated from cDNA. To our knowledge, this is the first study combining next-generation sequencing and metatranscriptomics to study archaeal communities in marine habitats. The pyrosequencing-derived dataset comprised 62,045 archaeal 16S rRNA sequences. We identified Halobacteria as the predominant archaeal group across all samples with increased abundance in algal blooms. Thermoplasmatales (Euryarchaeota) and the Marine Group I (Thaumarchaeota) were identified in minor abundances. It is indicated that archaeal community patterns were influenced by environmental conditions.
Highlights
It has been calculated that one mL of oceanic sea water contains up to 106 different microorganisms [1]
Archaeal community structures were investigated by pyrosequencing-based analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons generated from cDNA
The aim of our study was to assess the active archaeal community structures in the southern North Sea employing next-generation sequencing of 16S rRNA amplicons generated by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR)
Summary
It has been calculated that one mL of oceanic sea water contains up to 106 different microorganisms [1]. These archaea, bacteria, protists, and unicellular fungi contribute 98% to the primary biomass production and are involved in almost all biogeochemical cycles [2]. High numbers of Archaea have been found in marine sediments [4] In contrast to their relatives living in extreme environments, little is known on marine Archaea. This is partly due to the unavailability of pure cultures. Our knowledge of the archaeal role in oceanic ecology is rudimentary and their influence on global biogeochemical cycles is largely unexplored [6]
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