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Diversity and distribution of subterranean bacteria in groundwater at Oklo in Gabon, Africa, as determined by 16S rRNA gene sequencing
Author(s) -
PEDERSEN K.,
ARLINGER J.,
HALLBECK L.,
PETTERSSON C.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
molecular ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.619
H-Index - 225
eISSN - 1365-294X
pISSN - 0962-1083
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-294x.1996.d01-320.x
Subject(s) - biology , proteobacteria , 16s ribosomal rna , bacteria , ribosomal rna , genetic diversity , borehole , planctomycetes , ribosomal dna , population , ecology , phylogenetics , genetics , gene , paleontology , demography , sociology
This paper describes how groundwater was sampled, DNA extracted, amplified and cloned and how information available in the ribosomal 16S rRNA gene was used for mapping diversity and distribution of subterranean bacteria in groundwater at the Bangombé site in the Oklo region. The results showed that this site was inhabited by a diversified population of bacteria. Each borehole was dominated by species that did not dominate in any of the other boreholes; a result that probably reflects documented differences in the geochemical environment. Two of the sequences obtained were identified at genus level to represent Acinetobacter and Zoogloea , but most of the 44 sequences found were only distantly related to species in the DNA database. The deepest borehole, BAX01 (105 m), had the highest number of bacteria and also total organic carbon (TOC). This borehole harboured only Proteobacteria beta group sequences while sequences related to Proteobacteria beta, gamma and delta groups and Gram‐positive bacteria were found in the other four boreholes. Two of the boreholes, BAX02 (34 m) and BAX04 (10 m) had many 16S rRNA gene sequences in common and they also had similar counts of bacteria, content of TOC, pH and equal conductivity, suggesting a hydraulic connection between them.