Lysnes, Kristine; Torsvik, Terje; Thorseth, Ingunn H.; Pedersen, Rolf B. (2004): Microbial populations in ocean floor basalt; results from ODP Leg 187. Texas A&M University, Ocean Drilling Program, College Station, TX, United States, In: Pedersen, Rolf B., Christie, David M., Miller, D. Jay, Balzer, Vaughn G., Einaudi, Florence, Gee, M. A. Mary, Hauff, Folkmar, Kempton, Pamela D., Liang, Wen-Tzong, Lysnes, Kristine, Meyzen, Christine M., Pyle, Douglas G., Russo, Christopher J., Sato, Hiroshi, Thorseth, Ingunn H., Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program; scientific results; mantle reservoirs and migration associated with Australian Antarctic rifting; covering Leg 187 of the cruises of the drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution; Fremantle, Australia, to Fremantle, Australia, Sites 1152-1164; 16 November 1999-10 January 2000, 187, georefid:2005-011570

Abstract:
The microbial population in samples of basalt drilled from the north of the Australian Antarctic Discordance (AAD) during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 187 were studied using deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based methods and culturing techniques. The results showed the presence of a microbial population characteristic for the basalt environment. DNA sequence analysis revealed that microbes grouping within the Actinobacteria, green nonsulfur bacteria, the Cytophaga/Flavobacterium/Bacteroides (CFB) group, the Bacillus/Clostridium group, and the beta and gamma subclasses of the Proteobacteria were present in the basalt samples collected. The most dominant phylogenetic group, both in terms of the number of sequences retrieved and the intensities of the DNA bands obtained with the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis, was the gamma Proteobacteria. Enrichment cultures showed phylogenetic affiliation with the Actinobacteria, the CFB group, the Bacillus/Clostridium group, and the alpha, beta, gamma, and epsilon subclasses of the Proteobacteria. Comparison of native and enriched samples showed that few of the microbes found in native basalt samples grew in the enrichment cultures. Only seven clusters, two clusters within each of the CFB and Bacillus/Clostridium groups and five clusters within the gamma Proteobacteria, contained sequences from both native and enriched basalt samples with significant similarity. Results from cultivation experiments showed the presence of the physiological groups of iron reducers and methane producers. The presence of the iron/manganese-reducing bacterium Shewanella was confirmed with DNA analysis. The results indicate that iron reducers and lithotrophic methanogenic Archaea are indigenous to the ocean crust basalt and that the methanogenic Archaea may be important primary producers in this basaltic environment.
Coverage:
West: 126.0000 East: 135.0000 North: -41.1500 South: -46.0000
Relations:
Expedition: 187
Supplemental Information:
Available only on CD-ROM in PDF format and on the Web in PDF or HTML
Data access:
Provider: SEDIS Publication Catalogue
Data set link: http://sedis.iodp.org/pub-catalogue/index.php?id=10.2973/odp.proc.sr.187.203.2004 (c.f. for more detailed metadata)
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