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Vertical distribution of particle-associated and free-living ammonia-oxidizing archaea in Suruga Bay, a deep coastal embayment of Japan

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Abstract

We analyzed the vertical distributions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in terms of abundance in Suruga Bay, Japan. We distinguished particle-associated (PA) from free-living (FL) assemblages. According to quantitative PCR measurements of the ammonia monooxygenase subunit A gene (amoA), most marine AOA were in an FL state. The vertical distributions of PA AOA ecotypes differed from the general trend; the Shallow Marine clade was dominant in both the surface and deep layers. Thus, although PA AOA account for a small percentage of AOA abundance, they have a community structure distinct from that of FL AOA in planktonic environments. Marine particles should be investigated further as an unexplored niche of AOA in the ocean.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the captain and crew of the research vessel Tansei-maru and the onboard researchers of cruise KT-08-02. We thank the staff and members of the Marine Microbiology Section and Genetic Research Section (Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo) and Dr. Hidetoshi Urakawa (Florida Gulf Coast University) for providing valuable advice at the start of this study. This work was supported by MEXT KAKENHI Grant no. JP24121004 to KH.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, 277-8564, Chiba, Japan

    Minoru Ijichi, Hajime Itoh & Koji Hamasaki

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, Tokyo Metropolitan University, 1-1 Minami-Osawa, Hachioji, 192-0397, Tokyo, Japan

    Minoru Ijichi

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  1. Minoru Ijichi
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  2. Hajime Itoh
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Correspondence to Minoru Ijichi.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Ijichi, M., Itoh, H. & Hamasaki, K. Vertical distribution of particle-associated and free-living ammonia-oxidizing archaea in Suruga Bay, a deep coastal embayment of Japan. Arch Microbiol 201, 1141–1146 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-019-01680-6

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