16S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene amplicon analysis of marine sediment microorganisms

Marine sediments harbor an immense abundance and diversity of microbes. However, the diversity, distribution and potential activity of microorganisms in deep-sea sediments remains relatively poorly explored, particularly with respect to physicochemical parameters. To investigate trends in benthic microbial community composition and potential activity across a wide range of environmental conditions, we analyzed 16S rRNA and 16S rRNA genes and porewater chemistry at 11 sites across a 300 km transect from the San Francisco coast to the northeast Pacific abyssal plain. Our sample sites spanned 100-4500 m water depth and 0-200 cm sediment depth.

海洋沉积物蕴藏着数量极其庞大、种类极为多样的微生物。然而，目前针对深海沉积物中微生物的多样性、分布特征及潜在活性的研究仍相对匮乏，在理化参数相关维度上尤为突出。为探究多种环境条件下底栖微生物群落组成与潜在活性的变化规律，我们对从旧金山海岸至东北太平洋深海平原的300公里样带上的11个采样点展开分析，检测了16S核糖体RNA（16S rRNA）、16S核糖体RNA基因以及孔隙水化学特征。本次采样点的覆盖水深范围为100至4500米，沉积物深度范围为0至200厘米。