分子地质微生物学研究方法述评

微生物在诸如海洋、湖泊、土壤、冰川、洞穴等许多生态系统的地质过程中发挥着重要作用，国际上对一些单个生态系统的地质微生物研究进展及微生物类脂物碳同位素组成与碳循环的关系等已部分地进行了总结。从分子水平上总结了地质微生物研究进展，着重从核酸（16S rRNA、DNA）和类脂物（磷脂酸、藿醇）两大方面评述了分子地质微生物学的研究，重点剖析了地质历史时期的甲烷氧化细菌、绿硫细菌、蓝细菌等一些重要微生物类群的类脂物分子标志化合物特征，揭示了当今分子地质微生物研究领域最新的研究方法及其发展动态，指出单体稳定同位素研究和放射性同位素示踪的结合将使分子地质微生物学研究进入一个崭新阶段。

EVALUATION OF THE METHODOLOGY IN MOLECULAR GEOMICROBIOLOGY

Microbes are extensively involved in geological processes occurring within a variety of ecosystems such as marine and oceans, lakes, soils, glaciers, caves, etc. Specific summaries of the microbial studies in individual ecosystems have been partly, if not wholly, presented in literatures. However, This paper overviews some advances in the studies of the biochemical components in molecular geomicrobiology, including nucleic acids (16S rRNA and DNA) and lipids (PLFA and hopanols). Summary is made on the lipid characteristics of specific geomicrobes. Typically, diplopterol, 2-methylhopanes and aryl isoprenoids (2-alkyl-1,3,4-trimethylbenzene) are respectively reviewed in the exploitation as the biomarkers of methanotrophs, cyanobacteria and green sulfur bacteria through the geological time. It is proposed that new techniques such as the integration of stable with radioactive isotopes of compound-specific will enhance the further development of molecular geomicrobiology in the future.