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Quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of microbial consortia from a biogenic gas field in Alaska's Cook Inlet basin
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of microbial consortia from a biogenic gas field in Alaska's Cook Inlet basin

Katherine S Dawson, Dariusz Strąpoć, Brad Huizinga, Ulrika Lidstrom, Matt Ashby and Jennifer L Macalady
Applied and environmental microbiology, v 78(10), pp 3599-3605
01 May 2012
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.07122-11
PMID: 22427501
url
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3346356View
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Abstract

Acetates - metabolism Archaea - classification Archaea - genetics Bacteria - classification Bacteria - genetics Biota Carbon Dioxide - metabolism In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence - methods Methane - metabolism Microbial Consortia Oil and Gas Fields - microbiology Sequence Analysis, DNA Water Microbiology Alaska
Filter-collected production water samples from a methane-rich gas field in the Cook Inlet basin of Alaska were investigated using whole-cell rRNA-targeted fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and 16S rRNA tag pyrosequencing. Both techniques were consistent in determining the microbial community composition, including the archaeal or bacterial dominance of samples. The archaeal community is dominated by the obligate methylotrophic methanogen genus Methanolobus as well as the nutritional generalist methanogen genus Methanosarcina, which is capable of utilizing acetate, CO(2), and methyl-bearing compounds. The most-abundant bacterial groups are Firmicutes, notably of the Acetobacterium genus, and Cytophaga-Flexibacter-Bacteroides species (CFBs) affiliated with the order Bacteroidales. We observed spatial variation among samples in both the percentage of members of Archaea compared to that of members of Bacteria and the dominant members of the bacterial community, differences which could not be explained with the available geochemical data. Based upon the microbial community composition and the isotopic signature of methane associated with the Cook Inlet basin site, we propose a simplified reaction network beginning with the breakdown of coal macromolecules, followed by fermentation and methylotrophic and acetoclastic methane production.

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Industry collaboration
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Web of Science research areas
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Microbiology
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