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Vertical distribution and characterization of aerobic phototrophic bacteria at the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean

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Abstract

The vertical distribution of culturable anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria was investigated at five sites at or near the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean. Twelve similar strains of obligately aerobic phototrophic bacteria were isolated in pure culture, from depths ranging from 500 to 2,379 m below the surface. These strains appear morphologically, physiologically, biochemically, and phylogenetically similar to Citromicrobium bathyomarinum strain JF-1, a bacterium previously isolated from hydrothermal vent plume waters. Only one aerobic phototrophic strain was isolated from surface waters. This strain is morphologically and physiologically distinct from the strains isolated at deeper sampling locations, and phylogenetic analysis indicates that it is most closely related to the genus Erythrobacter. Phototrophs were cultivated from three water casts taken above vents but not from two casts taken away from active vent sites. No culturable anaerobic anoxygenic phototrophs were detected. The photosynthetic apparatus was investigated in strain JF-1 and contains light-harvesting I and reaction center complexes, which are functional under aerobic conditions.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by grants from the NSERC (Canada) to V.Y. and J.T.B. Funds in support of the field sampling program were obtained from grants to G.F.P., R.E.B. and C.L.V.D. from the NSF RIDGE Program, NASA Exobiology, and NASA Astrobiology. CEA (France) provided financial support to C.R. during his research visit to Cadarache. We are grateful to the Captain and crew of the R/V Atlantis and to the Expedition Leader and crew of the DSRV Alvin for their assistance in collecting samples. We thank Drs. P. Falkowski and Z. Kolber for discussions and suggestions during project development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, The University of Manitoba, 422 Buller Building, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2

    Christopher Rathgeber & Vladimir Yurkov

  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, 85287-1604, USA

    Michael T. Lince & Robert E. Blankenship

  3. Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, 13 Rue P. et M. Curie, 75005, Paris, France

    Jean Alric

  4. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z3

    Andrew S. Lang & J. Thomas Beatty

  5. Bio-Imaging Facility, The University of British Columbia, 517-6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4

    Elaine Humphrey

  6. CEA-Cadarache, DSV/IBEB/SBVME/LBC, UMR 6191 CNRS/CEA/Université Aix-Marseille, Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, 13108, France

    André Verméglio

  7. Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, St George’s, GE01, Bermuda

    F. Gerald Plumley

  8. Biology Department, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA

    Cindy L. Van Dover

Authors
  1. Christopher Rathgeber
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  2. Michael T. Lince
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  3. Jean Alric
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  4. Andrew S. Lang
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  5. Elaine Humphrey
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  6. Robert E. Blankenship
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  7. André Verméglio
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  8. F. Gerald Plumley
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  9. Cindy L. Van Dover
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  10. J. Thomas Beatty
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  11. Vladimir Yurkov
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Correspondence to Vladimir Yurkov.

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Rathgeber, C., Lince, M.T., Alric, J. et al. Vertical distribution and characterization of aerobic phototrophic bacteria at the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the Pacific Ocean. Photosynth Res 97, 235–244 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-008-9332-z

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