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Bacterial Diversity of Terrestrial Crystalline Volcanic Rocks, Iceland

Microbial Ecology volume 62, pages 69–79 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Bacteria inhabiting crystalline rocks from two terrestrial Icelandic volcanic lava flows of similar age and from the same geographical region, but differing in porosity and mineralogy, were characterised. Microarray (PhyloChip) and clone library analysis of 16S rRNA genes revealed the presence of a diverse assemblage of bacteria in each lava flow. Both methods suggested a more diverse community at the Dómadalshraun site (rhyolitic/andesitic lava flow) than that present at the Hnausahraun site (basaltic lava flow). Proteobacteria dominated the clone library at the Dómadalshraun site, while Acidobacteria was the most abundant phylum in the Hnausahraun site. Although analysis of similarities of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles suggested a strong correlation of community structure with mineralogy, rock porosity may also play an important role in shaping the bacterial community in crystalline volcanic rocks. Clone sequences were most similar to uncultured microorganisms, mainly from soil environments. Of these, Antarctic soils and temperate rhizosphere soils were prominent, as were clones retrieved from Hawaiian and Andean volcanic soils. The novel diversity of these Icelandic microbial communities was supported by the finding that up to 46% of clones displayed <85% sequence identities to sequences currently deposited in the RDP database.

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Acknowledgements

This work was made possible and supported by the Leverhulme Trust (project number F/00 269/N). We thank John Watson (Department of Earth Science, Open University, UK) for the XRF analyses and Stephen Summers (Geomicrobiology Group, Open University) for statistical advice. The authors are also grateful to Steve Blake and Steve Self (Earth and Environmental Sciences, Open University, UK) for helpful discussions and advice, and Mark Blaxter (School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, UK) for the sequencing facilities.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geomicrobiology Research Group, Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute, Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK

    Laura C. Kelly, Charles S. Cockell & Aude Herrera-Belaroussi

  2. Ecology Department, Earth Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA

    Yvette Piceno, Gary Andersen, Todd DeSantis & Eoin Brodie

  3. Hydrology Division, National Energy Authority, Grensasvegi 9, IS-108, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson

  4. Matís ohf./Icelandic Food and Biotech R&D, Vínlandsleid 12, 113, Reykjavik, Iceland

    Viggó Marteinsson

  5. INRA, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Université de Lyon 1, UMR 5557 Ecologie Microbienne, Villeurbanne, France

    Franck Poly & Xavier LeRoux

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  1. Laura C. Kelly
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Correspondence to Laura C. Kelly.

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Kelly, L.C., Cockell, C.S., Herrera-Belaroussi, A. et al. Bacterial Diversity of Terrestrial Crystalline Volcanic Rocks, Iceland. Microb Ecol 62, 69–79 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-011-9864-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-011-9864-1

Keywords

  • Microbial Community
  • Bacterial Community
  • Volcanic Rock
  • Lava Flow
  • Clone Library