Marine microorganisms cultured in chemostats - Metagenomes

8 chemostat metagenomes are presented. Description of the experiment: The metagenomes were derived from prokaryotic communities grown in 4 chemostats. Samples for inoculation of the chemostats originated from the upper 2 cm sediment layer of the intertidal flat „Janssand“; Spiekeroog backbarrier area. Two cultures were incubated in 2011 (sampling on Janssand conducted in March 2011) at different temperatures: 10 vs. 25 °C. A replication of these incubations was conducted in 2012 (sampling on Janssand conducted in March 2012). Aim of the investigation was to elucidate the influence of moderately low (10 °C) vs. moderately high (25 °C) temperatures on the sampled communities. The communities were grown under denitrifying conditions as most as possible similar to in situ conditions: anaerobic, dark, low nutrient concentrations (micromolar range), nitrite as electron acceptor, carbon mixture (mimicking the composition of decaying biomass) as electron donor. The cultures were maintained under constant conditions and dense observation with respect to substrate turnover (periodic determination of metabolic products). Metagenomes and –transcriptomes were aimed to deliver additional information on the metabolic capabilities of the enriched communities. Description of the samples used for metagenomic sequencing: Two chemostat cultures, grown under denitrifying conditions in 2011 at 10 and 25 °C, respectively, were each sampled once for sequencing. Samples were taken at t=97 days (25 °C culture), and t=101 days (10 °C culture) of culture lifetime. Two chemostat cultures, grown in 2012 under comparable conditions as in 2011, were each sampled three times for sequencing. Samples were taken at t=35, t=64, and t=86 days of culture lifetime for both cultures. Metagenomic DNA was extracted from all samples and sequenced using the the 454 technology (2011 samples) or the ion torrent technology (2012 samples), and the reads were assembled into contigs.