First evidence for the presence of iron oxidizing zetaproteobacteria at the Levantine continental margins

PLoS One. 2014 Mar 10;9(3):e91456. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091456. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

During the 2010-2011 E/V Nautilus exploration of the Levantine basin's sediments at the depth of 300-1300 m, densely patched orange-yellow flocculent mats were observed at various locations along the continental margin of Israel. Cores from the mat and the control locations were collected by remotely operated vehicle system (ROV) operated by the E/V Nautilus team. Microscopic observation and phylogenetic analysis of microbial 16S and 23S rRNA gene sequences indicated the presence of zetaproteobacterial stalk forming Mariprofundus spp.-like prokaryotes in the mats. Bacterial tag-encoded FLX amplicon pyrosequencing determined that zetaproteobacterial populations were a dominant fraction of microbial community in the biofilm. We show for the first time that zetaproteobacterial may thrive at the continental margins, regardless of crustal iron supply, indicating significant fluxes of ferrous iron to the sediment-water interface. In light of this discovery, we discuss the potential bioavailability of sediment-water interface iron for organisms in the overlying water column.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Biofilms
  • Geography
  • Geologic Sediments / microbiology
  • Iron / metabolism*
  • Israel
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Phylogeny
  • Proteobacteria / metabolism*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
  • Remote Sensing Technology
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Water

Substances

  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
  • Water
  • Iron

Associated data

  • GENBANK/KF199322
  • GENBANK/KF199323
  • GENBANK/KF199324
  • GENBANK/KF199325
  • GENBANK/KF199326
  • GENBANK/KF199327
  • GENBANK/KF199328
  • GENBANK/KF199329
  • GENBANK/KF199330
  • GENBANK/KF199331
  • GENBANK/KF199332
  • GENBANK/KF199333
  • GENBANK/KF199334
  • GENBANK/KF199335
  • GENBANK/KF199336
  • GENBANK/KF651136
  • GENBANK/KF651137
  • GENBANK/KF651138
  • GENBANK/KF651139
  • GENBANK/KF651140
  • GENBANK/KF651141
  • GENBANK/KF651142
  • GENBANK/KF651143

Grants and funding

Support for this project was provided by European Commission FP7 research infrastructure initiative program “Assemble 227799” and The Leon H. Charney School for Marine Sciences. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.