Cyanobacterial ecotypes in the microbial mat community of Mushroom Spring (Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming) as species-like units linking microbial community composition, structure and function

We have investigated microbial mats of alkaline siliceous hot springs in Yellowstone National Park as natural model communities to learn how microbial populations group into species-like fundamental units. Here, we bring together empirical patterns of the distribution of molecular variation in predo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological sciences 2006-11, Vol.361 (1475), p.1997-2008
Main Authors: Ward, David M, Bateson, Mary M, Ferris, Michael J, Kühl, Michael, Wieland, Andrea, Koeppel, Alex, Cohan, Frederick M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation
Adaptation, Biological - genetics
Base Sequence
Community structure
Cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria - genetics
Cyanobacteria - physiology
Ecological genetics
Ecosystem
Ecotype
Euphotic zone
Genetic Variation
Genotypes
Hot Spring
Hot springs
Models, Biological
Molecular Sequence Data
Mushrooms
Oxygen - analysis
Phylogeny
Population ecology
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Species
Species Specificity
Spectrum Analysis
Synecology
Temperature
Wyoming
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Summary:We have investigated microbial mats of alkaline siliceous hot springs in Yellowstone National Park as natural model communities to learn how microbial populations group into species-like fundamental units. Here, we bring together empirical patterns of the distribution of molecular variation in predominant mat cyanobacterial populations, theory-based modelling of how to demarcate phylogenetic clusters that correspond to ecological species and the dynamic patterns of the physical and chemical microenvironments these populations inhabit and towards which they have evolved adaptations. We show that putative ecotypes predicted by the theory-based model correspond well with distribution patterns, suggesting populations with distinct ecologies, as expected of ecological species. Further, we show that increased molecular resolution enhances our ability to detect ecotypes in this way, though yet higher molecular resolution is probably needed to detect all ecotypes in this microbial community.
ISSN:0962-8436
1471-2970
DOI:10.1098/rstb.2006.1919