Spatial variation in microbial community structure, richness, and diversity in an alluvial aquifer

2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1135-1151 ◽  
Author(s):  
P.G. Medihala ◽  
J.R. Lawrence ◽  
G.D.W. Swerhone ◽  
D.R. Korber
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Microbial Community Composition ◽  
Alluvial Aquifer ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

Relatively little is known regarding the spatial variability of microbial communities in aquifers where well fouling is an issue. In this study 2 water wells were installed in an alluvial aquifer located adjacent to the North Saskatchewan River and an associated piezometer network developed to facilitate the study of microbial community structure, richness, and diversity. Carbon utilization data analysis revealed reduced microbial activity in waters collected close to the wells. Functional PCR and quantitative PCR analysis indicated spatial variability in the potential for iron-, sulphate-, and nitrate-reducing activity at all locations in the aquifer. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of aquifer water samples using principal components analyses indicated that the microbial community composition was spatially variable, and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis sequence analysis revealed that bacteria belonging to the genera Acidovorax , Rhodobacter , and Sulfuricurvum were common throughout the aquifer. Shannon’s richness (H′) and Pielou’s evenness (J′) indices revealed a varied microbial diversity (H′ = 1.488–2.274) and an even distribution of microbial communities within the aquifer (J′ = 0.811–0.917). Overall, these analyses revealed that the aquifer’s microbial community varied spatially in terms of composition, richness, and metabolic activity. Such information may facilitate the diagnosis, prevention, and management of fouling.

scholarly journals Relationships between Microbial Community Structure and Hydrochemistry in a Landfill Leachate-Polluted Aquifer

2001 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 4619-4629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilfred F. M. Röling ◽  
Boris M. van Breukelen ◽  
Martin Braster ◽  
Bin Lin ◽  
Henk W. van Verseveld
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
16S Rdna ◽  
Microbial Community Structure ◽  
Landfill Leachate ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Numerical Comparison ◽  
Gram Positive ◽  
Gram Positive Bacteria

ABSTRACT Knowledge about the relationship between microbial community structure and hydrogeochemistry (e.g., pollution, redox and degradation processes) in landfill leachate-polluted aquifers is required to develop tools for predicting and monitoring natural attenuation. In this study analyses of pollutant and redox chemistry were conducted in parallel with culture-independent profiling of microbial communities present in a well-defined aquifer (Banisveld, The Netherlands). Degradation of organic contaminants occurred under iron-reducing conditions in the plume of pollution, while upstream of the landfill and above the plume denitrification was the dominant redox process. Beneath the plume iron reduction occurred. Numerical comparison of 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA)-based denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) profiles of Bacteria andArchaea in 29 groundwater samples revealed a clear difference between the microbial community structures inside and outside the contaminant plume. A similar relationship was not evident in sediment samples. DGGE data were supported by sequencing cloned 16S rDNA. Upstream of the landfill members of the β subclass of the class Proteobacteria(β-proteobacteria) dominated. This group was not encountered beneath the landfill, where gram-positive bacteria dominated. Further downstream the contribution of gram-positive bacteria to the clone library decreased, while the contribution of δ-proteobacteria strongly increased and β-proteobacteria reappeared. The β-proteobacteria (Acidovorax,Rhodoferax) differed considerably from those found upstream (Gallionella, Azoarcus). Direct comparisons of cloned 16S rDNA with bands in DGGE profiles revealed that the data from each analysis were comparable. A relationship was observed between the dominant redox processes and the bacteria identified. In the iron-reducing plume members of the familyGeobacteraceae made a strong contribution to the microbial communities. Because the only known aromatic hydrocarbon-degrading, iron-reducing bacteria areGeobacter spp., their occurrence in landfill leachate-contaminated aquifers deserves more detailed consideration.

scholarly journals Detritus-Dependent Development of the Microbial Community in an Experimental System: Qualitative Analysis by Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis

1999 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 2478-2484 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik J. van Hannen ◽  
Wolf Mooij ◽  
Miranda P. van Agterveld ◽  
Herman J. Gons ◽  
Hendrikus J. Laanbroek
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Microbial Community ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Experimental System ◽  
Rrna Genes ◽  
Green Algal ◽  
Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
18S Rrna Genes

ABSTRACT Correlations between the biomass of phytoplankton and the biomass of bacteria and between the biomass of bacteria and the biomass of protozoans suggest that there is coupling between these compartments of the “microbial loop.” To investigate this coupling on the species level, bacteria and protozoans from untreated lake water inocula were allowed to grow on detritus of the green alga Ankistrodesmus falcatus or the cyanobacterium Oscillatoria limneticain continuous-flow systems for 1 month. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of the 16S and 18S rRNA genes was used to monitor the development of the bacterial community structure and the eukaryotic community structure, respectively. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling of the DGGE profiles revealed the changes in the microbial community structure. This analysis showed that significantly different bacterial communities developed on the green algal detritus and on the cyanobacterial detritus. Although similar results were obtained for the eukaryotic communities, the differences were not significant. Hence, our findings indicate that the origin of detritus can affect the structure of at least the bacterial community. A phylogenetic analysis of 20 18S ribosomal DNA clones that were isolated from the continuous cultures revealed that many sequences were related to the sequences of bacterivorous protozoans (members of the Ciliophora, Rhizopoda, Amoeba, and Kinetoplastida). One clone grouped in a recently established clade whose previously described members are all parasites. The affiliations of about 20% of the clones could not be determined.

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