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Composition of Hydrothermal Vent Microbial Communities as Revealed by Analyses of Signature Lipids, Stable Carbon Isotopes and Aquificales CulturesExtremely thermophilic microbial communities associated with the siliceous vent walls and outflow channel of Octopus Spring, Yellowstone National Park, have been examined for lipid biomarker and carbon isotopic signatures. These data were compared with that obtained from representatives of three Aquificales genera. Thermocrinis ruber, Thermocrinis sp. HI, Hydrogenobacter thermophilus, Aquifex pyrophilus and Aquifex aeolicus all contained phospholipids composed not only of the usual ester-linked fatty acids, but also ether-linked alkyl moieties. The fatty acids of all cultured organisms were dominated by very distinct pattern of n-C-20:1 and cy-C-21 compounds. The alkyl glycerol ethers were present primarily as C-18:0 monoethers with the exception of the Aquifex spp. in which dialkyl glycerol ethers with a boarder carbon-number distribution were also present. These Aquificales biomarker lipids were the major constituents in the lipid extracts of the Octopus Spring microbial samples. Two natural samples, a microbial biofilm growing in association with deposition of amorphous silica on the vent walls at 92 C, and the well-known "pink-streamer community" (PSC), siliceous filaments of a microbial consortia growing in the outflow channel at 87 C were analyzed. Both the biofilm and PSC samples contained mono- and dialkyl glycerol ethers with a prevalence of C-18 and C-20 alkyls. Phospholipid fatty acids were comprised of both the characteristic. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.
Document ID
20020002063
Acquisition Source
Ames Research Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Jahnke, Linda L.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Eder, Wolfgang
(Regensburg Univ. Germany)
Huber, Robert
(Regensburg Univ. Germany)
Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. MA United States)
Hayes, John M.
(Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. MA United States)
Cady, Sherry L.
(Portland State Univ. OR United States)
DesMarais, David J.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA United States)
Hope, Janet M.
(Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra Australia)
Summons, Roger E.
(Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Canberra Australia)
Date Acquired
August 20, 2013
Publication Date
April 1, 2001
Publication Information
Publication: General Meeting of the NASA Astrobiology Insititute
Subject Category
Exobiology
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Work of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.
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