A deep sea community at the Kebrit brine pool in the Red Sea

ABSTRACT The brine-seawater interface of the Kebrit Deep, northern Red Sea, was investigated for the presence of microorganisms using phylogenetic analysis combined with cultivation methods. Under strictly anaerobic culture conditions, novel halophiles were isolated. The new rod-shaped isolates belong to the halophilic genus Halanaerobiumand are the first representatives of the genus obtained from deep-sea, anaerobic brine pools. Within the genus Halanaerobium, they represent new species which grow chemoorganotrophically at NaCl concentrations ranging from 5 to 34%. The cellular fatty acid compositions are consistent with those of otherHalanaerobium representatives, showing unusually large amounts of Δ7 and Δ11 16:1 fatty acids. Phylogenetic analysis of the brine-seawater interface sample revealed the presence of various bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences dominated by cultivated members of the bacterial domain, with the majority affiliated with the genusHalanaerobium. The new Halanaerobium 16S rRNA clone sequences showed the highest similarity (99.9%) to the sequence of isolate KT-8-13 from the Kebrit Deep brine. In this initial survey, our polyphasic approach demonstrates that novel halophiles thrive in the anaerobic, deep-sea brine pool of the Kebrit Deep, Red Sea. They may contribute significantly to the anaerobic degradation of organic matter enriched at the brine-seawater interface.

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DEEP-SEA BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM THE CENTRAL RED SEA

The Journal of Foraminiferal Research ◽

10.2113/0310048 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 48-59 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Y. Edelman-Furstenberg

Keyword(s):

Red Sea ◽

Benthic Foraminifera ◽

Deep Sea

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Insights into Red Sea Brine Pool Specialized Metabolism Gene Clusters Encoding Potential Metabolites for Biotechnological Applications and Extremophile Survival

Marine Drugs ◽

10.3390/md17050273 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (5) ◽

pp. 273 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Laila Ziko ◽

Mustafa Adel ◽

Mohamed N. Malash ◽

Rania Siam

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acids ◽

Red Sea ◽

Gene Clusters ◽

Specialized Metabolism ◽

Anticancer Effects ◽

Novel Drugs ◽

Atlantis Ii Deep ◽

Brine Pools ◽

Metabolism Gene ◽

Brine Pool

The recent rise in antibiotic and chemotherapeutic resistance necessitates the search for novel drugs. Potential therapeutics can be produced by specialized metabolism gene clusters (SMGCs). We mined for SMGCs in metagenomic samples from Atlantis II Deep, Discovery Deep and Kebrit Deep Red Sea brine pools. Shotgun sequence assembly and secondary metabolite analysis shell (antiSMASH) screening unraveled 2751 Red Sea brine SMGCs, pertaining to 28 classes. Predicted categorization of the SMGC products included those (1) commonly abundant in microbes (saccharides, fatty acids, aryl polyenes, acyl-homoserine lactones), (2) with antibacterial and/or anticancer effects (terpenes, ribosomal peptides, non-ribosomal peptides, polyketides, phosphonates) and (3) with miscellaneous roles conferring adaptation to the environment/special structure/unknown function (polyunsaturated fatty acids, ectoine, ladderane, others). Saccharide (80.49%) and putative (7.46%) SMGCs were the most abundant. Selected Red Sea brine pool sites had distinct SMGC profiles, e.g., for bacteriocins and ectoine. Top promising candidates, SMs with pharmaceutical applications, were addressed. Prolific SM-producing phyla (Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria), were ubiquitously detected. Sites harboring the largest numbers of bacterial and archaeal phyla, had the most SMGCs. Our results suggest that the Red Sea brine niche constitutes a rich biological mine, with the predicted SMs aiding extremophile survival and adaptation.

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