南、北极近岸海水中好氧不产氧光合基因pufM的多样性

好氧不产氧光合(AAP)细菌因其具有利用溶解性有机物及光能的能力,在海洋碳循环及能量流动中发挥着重要的作用。该类细菌广泛分布在海洋环境中,其在不同生境中的多样性已被调查。但到目前为止,人们对于高纬度地区好氧不产氧光合细菌的认识还较为缺乏。有鉴于此,本研究基于编码光反应复合物上一个色素结合蛋白亚基的pufM基因,对北极王湾及南极乔治王岛近岸水体中夏季好氧不产氧光合细菌的多样性进行了检测。针对2个王湾站位和2个南极麦克斯维尔湾站位构建了4个pufM基因克隆文库,获得674个阳性克隆子。北极克隆子全部由α-变形细菌组成,而南极克隆子则包括α-变形细菌及β-变形细菌。来源于类似红细菌科的pufM基因在所有样品中皆占据优势。此外,与一株滴状亚硫酸盐杆菌中质粒编码的pufM基因存在亲缘关系的序列,在南、北极样品中均占优势。结果表明海洋环境中的pufM基因存在跨极甚至是环球分布。与此同时,南、北极序列之间的差异,也表明了极地地方种的存在。这些结果显示,作为好氧不产氧光合细菌的红细菌科在两极的近岸水体中具有重要的地位。

Diversity of the aerobic anoxygenic phototrophy gene pufM in Arctic and Antarctic coastal seawaters

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic (AAP) bacteria serve important functions in marine carbon and energy cycling because of their capability to utilize dissolved organic substrates and harvest light energy. AAP bacteria are widely distributed in marine environments, and their diversity has been examined in marine habitats. However, information about AAP bacteria at high latitudes remains insufficient to date. Therefore, this study determined the summer AAP bacterial diversity in Arctic Kongsfjorden and in the Antarctic coastal seawater of King George Island on the basis of pufM, a gene that encodes a pigment-binding protein subunit of the reaction center complex. Four pufM clone libraries were constructed, and 674 positive clones were obtained from four investigated stations (two in Kongsfjorden and two in the Antarctic Maxwell Bay). Arctic clones were clustered within the Alphaproteobacteria, whereas Antarctic clones were classified into the Alphaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria classes. Rhodobacteraceae-like pufM genes dominated in all samples. In addition, sequences closely related to pufM encoded on a plasmid in Sulfitobacter guttiformis were predominant in both Arctic and Antarctic samples. This result indicates the transpolar or even global distribution of pufM genes in marine environments. Meanwhile, differences between the Arctic and Antarctic sequences may prove polar endemism. These results indicate the important role of Rhodobacteraceae as AAP bacteria in bipolar coastal waters.