<i>Thiocapsa</i>, <i>Lutimaribacter</i>, and <i>Delftia</i> Are Major Bacterial Taxa Facilitating the Coupling of Sulfur Oxidation and Nutrient Recycling in the Sulfide-Rich Isinuka Spring in South Africa.

ABSTRACT: Sulfur cycling is a fundamental biogeochemical process, yet its microbial underpinnings in environments like the Isinuka sulfur pool remain poorly understood. Using high-throughput Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing and PICRUSt-based functional inference, we analyzed bacterial diversity and metabolic potential in sediment and water samples. Sediments, characterized by high sulfide/sulfate/thiosulfate, salinity, alkalinity, and organic matter content under anoxic conditions, supported diverse sulfur-reducing and organic-degrading bacteria, primarily from the Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria phyla. In contrast, the anoxic water column harbored a less diverse community dominated by α-, γ-, and β-Proteobacteria, including Thiocapsa and Lutimaribacter. Sulfu

SUBMITTER: Ogola HJO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12108725 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature