Diverse Patescibacteria assemblages and prevalence of ultra-small free-living Parcubacteria along a subterranean estuary.

ABSTRACT: Patescibacteria are a group of novel, mostly uncultivated bacteria characterized by ultra-small cell sizes and streamlined genomes. They are ubiquitous in diverse ecosystems, often prevailing in subsurface environments, yet basic aspects such as variability in cell size, abundance, and niche preferences of different taxa within Patescibacteria remain unknown, particularly along salinity gradients. Combining flow cytometry, catalyzed reporter deposition-fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD-FISH), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized Patescibacteria assemblages along a Mediterranean subterranean estuary resulting from the mixing of fresh groundwater with seawater. Patescibacteria occupied the entire subterranean salinity g

SUBMITTER: Ruiz-Gonzalez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12625730 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature