Monday, 27 August 2007
1.PS-14
Microbial communities in different Antarctic mineral deposits characterised by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE)
Lars Ganzert and Dirk Wagner. Periglacial Research, Alfred Wegener Institute of Polar and Marine Research, Telegrafenberg A45, Potsdam, D-14473, Germany
Summary A culture-independent method was used to assess the bacterial diversity in different mineral deposits of Livingston Island , Antarctic. One transect and four separate profiles were investigated. Total carbon and nitrogen were extremely low (< 0.23 %), whereas the water content ranged from 1.4% up to 35% with variations within single profiles. In two profiles permafrost was present in the deepest part (from 20 and 35 cm, respectively) of the sediments. DNA was recovered directly from mineral deposits and used as template for the amplification of bacterial 16S rRNA gene fragments. The mixture of 16S rRNA gene fragments was separated via denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). The DNA fingerprints showed a high number of bands that decrease with increasing depth, except for two single profiles, where no change within the profile could be observed.