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Bioprospecting of Extremophilic Microorganisms to Address Environmental Pollution
Published on: December 30, 2021
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Globally-distributed microbial eukaryotes exhibit endemism at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Sarah K Hu1, Amy R Smith1,2, Rika E Anderson3
1Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, USA.
Molecular Ecology
|October 27, 2022
Summary
Deep-sea vents host diverse microbial eukaryotes. These protists, including dinoflagellates and ciliates, shape vent ecosystems and the deep-sea carbon cycle.
Area of Science:
- Marine Biology
- Microbial Ecology
- Deep-Sea Science
Background:
- Single-celled microbial eukaryotes are vital to deep-sea hydrothermal vent food webs.
- Understanding protistan diversity is key to comprehending vent ecosystem function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate protistan community diversity patterns across distinct deep-sea hydrothermal vent fields.
- To identify potential endemic microbial eukaryotes in vent environments.
- To assess the influence of vent fluid geochemistry on microbial community diversity.
Main Methods:
- 18S rRNA amplicon sequencing was used to analyze protistan assemblages.
- Samples were collected from four geographically and geochemically diverse hydrothermal vent fields (NE Pacific and Caribbean).
- Community diversity was analyzed with respect to vent field and sample type.
Main Results:
- Microbial eukaryotic communities at deep-sea vents showed consistent proportions of major groups like dinoflagellates, ciliates, Rhizaria, and stramenopiles.
- Each vent field harbored distinct and highly diverse protistan assemblages.
- Potentially endemic or novel vent-associated microbial eukaryotes were identified.
Conclusions:
- Deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments support unique and diverse protistan communities.
- Protistan diversity is locally influenced by vent geochemistry, impacting the vent food web and carbon cycle.
- This study provides a comprehensive census of deep-sea hydrothermal vent protistan communities.
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