[Difference of community structure among culturable bacteria in different glacial samples on Chongce Ice Cap]

We studied the difference of bacterial community composition among glacial snow, moraine deposits and glacial soil on Chongce Ice Cap of West Kunlun Mountains.

Based on traditional culturedependent and 16S rRNA sequence analysis, we analyzed the community structure of bacteria on the level of genus and phylum.

Results show that glacial bacteria were composed of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria and Bacteroidetes on the phylum level. Glacial snow was dominated by Proteobacteria, whereas glacial soil and moraine deposits were dominated by Actinobacteria. On the genus level, glacial soil was dominated by Arthrobacter, while glacial snow was dominated by Methylobacterium, Modestobacter, Hymenobacter, Brevundimonas and Bacillus. Bacterial composition was similar between glacial soil and moraine deposits, but different from glacial snow. Skermanella may be unique on Chongce Ice Cap.

Our study indicated the vulnerability of bacterial diversity in glacial snow with glacial retreat, and the importance of bacterial resources preservation on glacial snow environments.