Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis of the prokaryotic community inhabiting crystallizer ponds

• Published in: Environmental microbiology 1999-12, Vol.1 (6), p.517-523
• Main Authors: Antón, Josefa, Llobet-Brossa, Enric, Rodríguez-Valera, Francisco, Amann, Rudolf
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaea - genetics; Archaea - isolation & purification; DNA Probes; DNA, Archaeal - analysis; DNA, Archaeal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - analysis; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Haloarcula - isolation & purification; Haloferax - isolation & purification; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S - genetics; Sodium Chloride; Water Microbiology
• ISSN: 1462-2912; 1462-2920
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1462-2920.1999.00065.x

A fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) protocol suitable for the identification of prokaryotes inhabiting hypersaline environments was developed and applied to several crystallizer ponds with salinities above 36% from a multipond solar saltern in Alicante, Spain. Two morphotypes were abundant in these environments: rods and square or square‐like prokaryotes that could be affiliated to Bacteria and Archaea, respectively, by FISH with domain‐specific probes. FISH with a newly designed probe proved that the archaeal 16S rDNA sequence most frequently recovered from the crystallizers, SPhT, originated from the dominant square‐like prokaryotes. These uncultured prokaryotes have the morphology of Walsby's square bacteria. Additionally, FISH with a probe targeted to the genus Haloarcula, members of which are frequently isolated from this environment, indicated that this genus accounts for less than 0.1% of the total prokaryotic community.