Abstract
ABSTRACTAerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria (AAPB) are widespread and play an important role in carbon cycling in the lakes of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known about how free-living and particle-attached AAPB distribute with salinity in the Qinghai–Tibetan lakes. In the present study, the abundance and diversity of free-living and particle-attached AAPB were investigated in seven Qinghai–Tibetan lakes with salinity ranging from freshwater to almost saturation (1.2 g L−1 241.1 g L−1). An integrated approach was employed including pufL-M gene (encoding the photosynthetic reaction center of AAPB) based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and PCR-cloning phylogenetic analysis. The qPCR data showed that the ratio between particle-attached and free-living AAPB was positively correlated (R2 = 0.73, p < 0.01) with increasing salinity. The phylogenetic analysis of pufL-M gene showed that the composition of AAPB population varied with salinity in the studied Qinghai–Tibetan lakes. These results suggested that salinity may be the important factor shaping the AAPB distribution in the studied Qinghai–Tibetan lakes, and AAPB may be adapted to the harsh conditions in the Qinghai–Tibetan lakes by attaching to particles.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
