Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A newly isolated Haloalkaliphilic bacterium from middle–late Eocene halite formed in salt lakes in China

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Carbonates and Evaporites Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ancient living halotolerant bacteria and ancient DNA have been reported from bedded marine halite, but seldom from lacustrine halite of the geological age. A halotolerant bacterium (Haloalkaliphilic bacterium, designated as 3-4) was isolated from primary halite with abundant fluid inclusions. Primary halite crystallized in lacustrine Yunying Depression located in the northeastern Jianghan Basin of central China. Yunying Depression is an inland salt paleolake residing in a faulted basin formed during late Cretaceous/early Tertiary. Brine inclusions from the same layer of the salt that housed Haloalkaliphilic bacterium 3-4 are the middle–late Eocene primary halite crystals and have homogenization temperatures between 5.8 and 43.3 °C. The estimated age is between 33.9 and 48.6 Ma years old for these fluid inclusions, and this represents the long-term survivability of this microorganism Haloalkaliphilic bacterium 3-4. Sequence analysis of the partial fragment of 16S ribosomal DNA showed that the organism is similar to the lineage of Haloalkaliphilic bacterium and Oceanobacillus sp. The isolation of the microbe reinforces the long-term preservation possibility of life in extreme environment such as the fluid inclusions in halite.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alonso-Gutierrez J, Figueras A, Albaiges J, Jimenez N, Vinas M, Solanas AM, Novoa B (2009) Bacterial communities from shoreline environments (Costa da Morte, Northwestern Spain) affected by the prestige oil spill. Appl Environ Microbiol 75:3407–3418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benison KC (1995) Surface water paleotemperatures from Permian Nippewalla Group halite, Kansas. Carbonate Evaporite 10(2):242–248

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Benison KC, Goldstein RH (1999) Permian paleoclimate data from fluid inclusions in halite. Chem Geol 154:113–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clarke MWH, Keij AJ (1973) Organisms as producers of carbonate sediment and indicators of environment in the southern Persian Gulf. The Persian Gulf: 33–56

  • Dellwig LF (1955) Origin of the salina salt of Michigan. J Sediment Res 25:83–110

    Google Scholar 

  • Dombrowski H (1963) Bacteria from Paleozoic salt deposits. Ann N Y Acad Sci 108:453–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dombrowski H (1966) Geological problems in the question of living bacteria in Paleozoic salt deposits. In: Second symposium on salt, vol 1. pp 215–220

  • Fish SA, Shepherd TJ, McGenity TJ, Grant WD (2002) Recovery of 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragments from ancient halite. Nature 417:432–436

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao HC, Chen FL, Liu GR, Liu ZF (2009) Advances, problems and prospect in studies of origin of salt rocks of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in Dongpu sag. J palaeogeogr 11(3):251–264 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Garland JL, Mills AL (1991) Classification and characterization of heterotrophic microbial communities on the basis of patterns of community-level sole-carbon-source utilization. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:2351–2359

    Google Scholar 

  • Grant WD, Gemmell RT, McGenity TJ (1998) Halobacteria: the evidence for longevity. Extremophiles 2:279–287

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall TA (1999) BioEdit: a user-friendly biological sequence alignment editor and analysis program for Windows 95/98/NT. Nucleic Acids Symp Ser 41:95–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Holland HD (1978) The chemistry of the atmosphere and oceans. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Ji LM, Meng FW, Yan K, Song ZG (2011) The dinoflagellate cyst Subtilisphaera from the Eocene of the Qaidam basin, northwest China, and its implications for hydrocarbon exploration. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 167:40–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson SS, Hebsgaard MB, Christensen TR, Mastepanov M, Nielsen R, Munch K, Brand T, Gilbert MTP, Zuber MT, Bunce M et al (2007) Ancient bacteria show evidence of DNA repair. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 104:14401–14405

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kminek G, Bada JL, Pogliano K, Ward JF (2003) Radiation-dependent limit for the viability of bacterial spores in halite fluid inclusions and on Mars. Radiat Res 159:722–729

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knauth LP (2005) Temperature and salinity history of the Precambrian ocean: implications for the course of microbial evolution. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 219:53–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kong FJ, Ma NN, Wang A, Amend J (2010) Isolation and identification of halophiles from evaporates in Dalangtan salt lake. Acta Geol Sin 84:1661–1667 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lowenstein TK, Li JR, Brown CB (1998) Paleotemperatures from fluid inclusions in halite: method verification and a 100,000 year paleotemperature record, Death Valley, CA. Chem Geol 150:223–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mcgenity TJ, Gemmell RT, Grant WD, Stan-Lotter H (2000) Origins of halotolerant microorganisms in ancient salt deposits. Environ Microbiol 2(3):243–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng FW, Ni P, Schiffbauer JD, Yuan XL, Zhou CM, Wang YG, Xia ML (2011) Ediacaran seawater temperature: evidence from inclusions of Sinian halite. Precambrian Res 184:63–69

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng FW, Ni P, Yuan XL, Zhou CM, Yang CH, Li YP (2013) Choosing the best ancient analogue for projected future temperatures: a case using data from fluid inclusions of middle-late Eocene halites. J Asian Earth Sci 67–68:46–50

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng FW, Galamay AR, Ni P, Yang CH, Li YP, Zhuo QG (2014) The major composition of a middle–late Eocene salt lake in the Yunying Depression of Jianghan Basin of middle China based on analyses of fluid inclusions in halite. J Asian Earth Sci 85:97–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mormile MR, Biesen MA, Gutierrez MC, Ventosa A, Pavlovich JB, Onstott TC, Fredrickson JK (2003) Isolation of Halobacterium salinarum retrieved directly from halite brine inclusions. Environ Microbiol 5:1094–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norton CF, Grant WD (1988) Survival of halobacteria within fluid inclusions in salt crystals. J Gen Microbiol 134:1365–1373

    Google Scholar 

  • Norton CF, McGenity TJ, Grant WD (1993) Archaeal halophiles (halobacteria) from two British salt mines. J Gen Microbiol 139:1077–1081

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reiser R, Tasch P (1960) Investigation of the viability of osmophile bacteria of great geological age. Trans Kans Acad Sci 63:31–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ren LY, Lin GF, Zhao ZQ, Wang XW (2000) Early tertiary marine transgression in Dongpu Depression. Acta Palaeontol Sin 39:553–557 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roedder E (1984) The fluids in salt. Am Mineral 69:413–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Rosenzweig WD, Peterson J, Woish J, Vreeland RH (2000) Development of a protocol to retrieve microorganisms from ancient salt crystals. Geom J 17:185–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satterfield CL, Lowenstein TK, Vreeland RH, Rosenzweig WD, Powers DW (2005) New evidence for 250 Ma age of halotolerant bacterium from a Permian salt crystal. Geology 33:265–268

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert BA, Lowenstein TK, Timofeeff MN (2009) Microscopic identification of prokaryotes in modern and ancient halite, Saline Valley and Death Valley, California. Astrobiology 9:467–482

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schubert BA, Lowenstein TK, Timofeeff MN, Parker MA (2010) Halotolerant Archaea cultured from ancient halite, Death Valley, California. Environ Microbiol 12:440–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stivaletta N, Barbieri R, Billi D (2012) Microbial colonization of the salt deposits in the driest place of the Atacama Desert (Chile). Origin Life Evol B 42:187–200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun ZC, Yang F, Zhang ZH, Li SJ, Li DM, Peng LC, Zeng XL, Xu YL, Mao SZ, Wang Q (1997) Sedimentary environments and hydrocarbon generation of cenozoic salified lakes in China. Petroleum Industry Press (in Chinese)

  • Tong CX (1989) The lower Tertiary pollen assemblage of Yunsi, Wenkou and Tailai Depression, Shandong. J Stratigraphy 13:219–223 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Tong GB, Liu ZM, Zheng MP, Yuan HR, Liu JY, Wang WM, Li YC (2002) Primary study on quantitative reconstruction of middle-late Eocene climate in Jianghan Basin. Earth Sci 27:446–452 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Vinas M, Sabate J, Espuny MJ, Solanas AM (2005) Bacterial community dynamics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon degradation during bioremediation of heavily creosote-contaminated soil. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:7008–7018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vreeland RH, Rosenzweig WD, Powers DW (2000) Isolation of a 250 million-year-old halotolerant bacterium from a primary salt crystal. Nature 407:897–900

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vreeland RH, Jones J, Monson A, Rosenzweig WD, Lowenstein TK, Timofeeff M, Satterfield C, Cho BC, Park JS, Wallace A et al (2007) Isolation of live Cretaceous (121–112 million years old) halotolerant Archaea from primary salt crystals. Geom J 24:275–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang QM (2007) Halite Mines and their explorations. Chemical Industry Press (in Chinese)

  • Wu XT, Ren LY (2004) The Tertiary seaway and new reservoir probe in Dongpu Depression as well as its surrounded basins. Acta Palaeontol Sin 43(1):147–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang CH, Li YP, Chen F, Yin XY (2006) Geological feasibility research report of energy underground storage of Yunying salt mine in Hubei province, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan

  • Yao WZ, Shi JQ, Qi HF, Yang JX, Jia S, Pu J (2011) Study on the phytoplankton in Qinghai Lake during summer of 2006–2011. Freshw Fish 41(3):22–28 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research is supported by Major State Basic Research Development Program (973 Program, No. 2011CB403007) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 40703018; 41173051; 41172131). We are very grateful to Ms. Jelena Acimovic in University of Toronto for her helpful review and comments for the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 210093, Nanjing, China

    Fan-Wei Meng

  2. Institute of Evo/Developmental Biology, State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, China

    Xiu-Qiang Wang & Yong-Hua Yang

  3. State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposit Research, Institute of Geo-Fluids, School of Earth Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, China

    Pei Ni

  4. Engineering Geology and Applied Geophysics, Department of Hydrogeology, Charles University, Albertov 6, 12843, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Gunther Kletetschka

  5. Institute of Geology, Czech Academy of Science of the Czech Republic v.v.i., Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Gunther Kletetschka

  6. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China

    Chun-He Yang & Yin-Ping Li

Authors
  1. Fan-Wei Meng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xiu-Qiang Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pei Ni
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Gunther Kletetschka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Chun-He Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yin-Ping Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Yong-Hua Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pei Ni.

Additional information

Fan-Wei Meng and Xiu-Qiang Wang contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Meng, FW., Wang, XQ., Ni, P. et al. A newly isolated Haloalkaliphilic bacterium from middle–late Eocene halite formed in salt lakes in China. Carbonates Evaporites 30, 321–330 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-014-0227-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13146-014-0227-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation