Beyond the tip of the iceberg; a new view of the diversity of sulfite- and sulfate-reducing microorganisms.

ABSTRACT: Sulfite-reducing and sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) play important roles in anoxic environments, linking the sulfur and carbon cycles. With climate warming, the distribution of anoxic habitats conductive to dissimilatory SRM is expanding. Consequently, we hypothesize that novel SRM are likely to emerge from the rare biosphere triggered by environmental changes. Using the dsrB gene as a  molecular marker of sulfite-reducers and sulfate-reducers, we analyzed the diversity, community composition, and abundance of SRM in 200 samples representing 14 different ecosystems, including marine and freshwater environments, oil reservoirs, and engineered infrastructure. Up to 167,397 species-level OTUs affiliated with 47 different families were identified. Up to 96% of these can be considered as

SUBMITTER: Vigneron A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6052056 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature