Comparative genomics in acid mine drainage biofilm communities reveals metabolic and structural differentiation of co-occurring archaea.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Metal sulfide mineral dissolution during bioleaching and acid mine drainage (AMD) formation creates an environment that is inhospitable to most life. Despite dominance by a small number of bacteria, AMD microbial biofilm communities contain a notable variety of coexisting and closely related Euryarchaea, most of which have defied cultivation efforts. For this reason, we used metagenomics to analyze variation in gene content that may contribute to niche differentiation among co-occurring AMD archaea. Our analyses targeted members of the Thermoplasmatales and related archaea. These results greatly expand genomic information available for this archaeal order.

Results

We reconstructed near-complete genomes for uncultivated, relatively low abundance organisms A-, E-, a

SUBMITTER: Yelton AP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3750248 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature