Microbial community structure and biomass estimates of a methanogenic Antarctic Lake ecosystem as determined by phospholipid analyses

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Abstract
Phospholipid analyses were performed on water column particulate and sediment samples from Ace Lake, a meromictic lake in the Vestfold Hills, Antarctica, to estimate the viable microbial biomass and community structure in the lake. In the water column, methanogenic bacterial phospholipids were present below 17 m in depth at concentrations which converted to a biomass of between 1 and 7×108 cells/liter. Methanogenic biomass in the sediment ranged from 17.7×109 cells/g dry weight of sediment at the surface to 0.1×109 cells/g dry weight at 2 m in depth. This relatively high methanogenic biomass implies that current microbial degradation of organic carbon in Ace Lake sediments may occur at extremely slow rates. Total microbial biomass increased from 4.4×108 cells/ liter at 2 m in depth to 19.4×108 cells/liter at 23 m, near the bottom of the water column. Total nonarchaebacterial biomass decreased from 4.2 ×109 cells/g dry weight in the surface sediment (1/4 the biomass of methanogens) to 0.06×108 cells/g dry weight at 2 m in depth in the sediment. Phospholipid fatty acid profiles showed that microeukaryotes were the major microbial group present in the oxylimnion of the lake, while bacteria dominated the lower, anoxic zone. Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) comprised 25% of the microbial population at 23 m in depth in the water column particulates and were present in the surface sediment but to a lesser extent. Biomass estimates and community structure of the Ace Lake eco-system are discussed in relation to previously measured metabolic rates for this and other antarctic and temperate ecosystems. This is the first instance, to our knowledge, in which the viable biomass of methanogenic and SRB have been estimated for an antarctic microbial community.

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