Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site
Abstract
Microbial diversity in subsurface sediments at the Hanford Site 300 Area near Richland, Washington State (USA) was investigated by analyzing samples recovered from depths of 9 to 52 m. Approximately 8000 near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed across geological strata that include a natural redox transition zone. These strata included the oxic coarse-grained Hanford formation, fine-grained oxic and anoxic Ringold Formation sediments, and the weathered basalt group. We detected 1233 and 120 unique bacterial and archaeal OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units at the 97% identity level), respectively. Microbial community structure and richness varied substantially across the different geological strata. Bacterial OTU richness (Chao1 estimator) was highest (>700) in the upper Hanford formation, and declined to about 120 at the bottom of the Hanford formation. Just above the Ringold oxic-anoxic interface, richness was about 325 and declined to less than 50 in the deeper reduced zones. The deeper Ringold strata were characterized by a preponderance (ca. 90%) of Proteobacteria. The Bacterial community in the oxic sediments contained not only members of 9 well-recognized phyla but also an unusually high proportion of 3 candidate divisions (GAL15, NC10, and SPAM). Additionally, novel phylogenetic orders were identified within the Delta-proteobacteria, a clade richmore »
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1034978
- Report Number(s):
- PNNL-SA-84157
Journal ID: ISSN 1462-2912; KP1702030; TRN: US201204%%270
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC05-76RL01830
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article
- Journal Name:
- Environmental Microbiology, 14(2):414-425
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 14; Journal Issue: 2; Journal ID: ISSN 1462-2912
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; BASALT; GENES; SEDIMENTS; STRATIFICATION; TRANSFORMATIONS; GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS; HANFORD ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT LABORATORY; archaea; bacteria; element cycles and biogeochemical processes; metals; microbial communities; microbial ecology; microbiology of unexplored habitats; uncultured microbes
Citation Formats
Lin, Xueju, Kennedy, David W, Fredrickson, Jim K, Bjornstad, Bruce N, and Konopka, Allan. Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site. United States: N. p., 2011.
Web. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02659.x.
Lin, Xueju, Kennedy, David W, Fredrickson, Jim K, Bjornstad, Bruce N, & Konopka, Allan. Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02659.x
Lin, Xueju, Kennedy, David W, Fredrickson, Jim K, Bjornstad, Bruce N, and Konopka, Allan. 2011.
"Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02659.x.
@article{osti_1034978,
title = {Vertical stratification of subsurface microbial community composition across geological formations at the Hanford Site},
author = {Lin, Xueju and Kennedy, David W and Fredrickson, Jim K and Bjornstad, Bruce N and Konopka, Allan},
abstractNote = {Microbial diversity in subsurface sediments at the Hanford Site 300 Area near Richland, Washington State (USA) was investigated by analyzing samples recovered from depths of 9 to 52 m. Approximately 8000 near full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences were analyzed across geological strata that include a natural redox transition zone. These strata included the oxic coarse-grained Hanford formation, fine-grained oxic and anoxic Ringold Formation sediments, and the weathered basalt group. We detected 1233 and 120 unique bacterial and archaeal OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units at the 97% identity level), respectively. Microbial community structure and richness varied substantially across the different geological strata. Bacterial OTU richness (Chao1 estimator) was highest (>700) in the upper Hanford formation, and declined to about 120 at the bottom of the Hanford formation. Just above the Ringold oxic-anoxic interface, richness was about 325 and declined to less than 50 in the deeper reduced zones. The deeper Ringold strata were characterized by a preponderance (ca. 90%) of Proteobacteria. The Bacterial community in the oxic sediments contained not only members of 9 well-recognized phyla but also an unusually high proportion of 3 candidate divisions (GAL15, NC10, and SPAM). Additionally, novel phylogenetic orders were identified within the Delta-proteobacteria, a clade rich in microbes that carry out redox transformations of metals that are important contaminants on the Hanford Site.},
doi = {10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02659.x},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1034978},
journal = {Environmental Microbiology, 14(2):414-425},
issn = {1462-2912},
number = 2,
volume = 14,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2011},
month = {Tue Nov 29 00:00:00 EST 2011}
}