Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan

Geothermal environments are characterized by dynamic redox and temperature fluctuations inherited from the exposure of deeply-sourced, hot, reducing fluids to low-temperature, oxidizing ambient environments. To investigate whether microbial assemblages shifted in response to the changes of a redox s...

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Main Authors: Ting-Wen Cheng, Pei-Ling Wang, Sheng-Rong Song, Li-Hung Lin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Springer 2013-01-01
Series:Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access: http://tao.cgu.org.tw/images/attachments/v243p345.pdf
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author Ting-Wen Cheng
Pei-Ling Wang
Sheng-Rong Song
Li-Hung Lin
author_facet Ting-Wen Cheng
Pei-Ling Wang
Sheng-Rong Song
Li-Hung Lin
author_sort Ting-Wen Cheng
collection DOAJ
description Geothermal environments are characterized by dynamic redox and temperature fluctuations inherited from the exposure of deeply-sourced, hot, reducing fluids to low-temperature, oxidizing ambient environments. To investigate whether microbial assemblages shifted in response to the changes of a redox state within acidic hot ponds, we collected three paired water and sediment samples from the Tatun Volcano Group, assessed metabolic roles of community members, and correlated their functional capabilities with geochemical factors along depth. Molecular analyses revealed that Sulfolobus spp., Acidianus spp. and Vulcanisaeta spp. capable of respiring elemental sulfur under oxic and/or low-oxygen conditions were the major archaeal members in planktonic communities. In contrast, obligate anaerobic Caldisphaera spp. dominated over others in bottom-dwelling communities. Bacteria were only detected in one locality wherein the majority was affiliated with microaerophilic Hydrogenobaculum spp. Cluster analyses indicated that archaeal communities associated with sediments tended to cluster together and branch off those with water. In addition, the quantities of dissolved oxygen within the water column were substantially less than those in equilibrium with atmospheric oxygen, indicating a net oxygen consumption most likely catalyzed by microbial processes. These lines of evidence suggest that the segregation of planktonic from bottom-dwelling archaeal assemblages could be accounted for by the oxygen affinities inherited in individual archaeal members. Community assemblages in geothermal ecosystems would be often underrepresented without cautious sampling of both water and sediments.
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spelling doaj.art-908cc053317b48519fab2d18d02fb1d52022-12-22T00:20:44ZengSpringerTerrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences1017-08392311-76802013-01-0124334510.3319/TAO.2013.01.11.01(TT)1137Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern TaiwanTing-Wen ChengPei-Ling WangSheng-Rong SongLi-Hung LinGeothermal environments are characterized by dynamic redox and temperature fluctuations inherited from the exposure of deeply-sourced, hot, reducing fluids to low-temperature, oxidizing ambient environments. To investigate whether microbial assemblages shifted in response to the changes of a redox state within acidic hot ponds, we collected three paired water and sediment samples from the Tatun Volcano Group, assessed metabolic roles of community members, and correlated their functional capabilities with geochemical factors along depth. Molecular analyses revealed that Sulfolobus spp., Acidianus spp. and Vulcanisaeta spp. capable of respiring elemental sulfur under oxic and/or low-oxygen conditions were the major archaeal members in planktonic communities. In contrast, obligate anaerobic Caldisphaera spp. dominated over others in bottom-dwelling communities. Bacteria were only detected in one locality wherein the majority was affiliated with microaerophilic Hydrogenobaculum spp. Cluster analyses indicated that archaeal communities associated with sediments tended to cluster together and branch off those with water. In addition, the quantities of dissolved oxygen within the water column were substantially less than those in equilibrium with atmospheric oxygen, indicating a net oxygen consumption most likely catalyzed by microbial processes. These lines of evidence suggest that the segregation of planktonic from bottom-dwelling archaeal assemblages could be accounted for by the oxygen affinities inherited in individual archaeal members. Community assemblages in geothermal ecosystems would be often underrepresented without cautious sampling of both water and sediments. http://tao.cgu.org.tw/images/attachments/v243p345.pdf Tatun Volcano GroupHot springArchaeal communityOxygen affinity
spellingShingle Ting-Wen Cheng
Pei-Ling Wang
Sheng-Rong Song
Li-Hung Lin
Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
Terrestrial, Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
Tatun Volcano Group
Hot spring
Archaeal community
Oxygen affinity
title Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
title_full Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
title_fullStr Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
title_full_unstemmed Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
title_short Segregated Planktonic and Bottom-Dwelling Archaeal Communities in High-Temperature Acidic/Sulfuric Ponds of the Tatun Volcano Group, Northern Taiwan
title_sort segregated planktonic and bottom dwelling archaeal communities in high temperature acidic sulfuric ponds of the tatun volcano group northern taiwan
topic Tatun Volcano Group
Hot spring
Archaeal community
Oxygen affinity
url http://tao.cgu.org.tw/images/attachments/v243p345.pdf
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