Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacteria in Soap Lake (Washington State), a Meromictic, Haloalkaline Lake with an Unprecedented High Sulfide Content

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Abstract
Culture-dependent and -independent techniques were used to study the diversity of chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in Soap Lake (Washington State), a meromictic, haloalkaline lake containing an unprecedentedly high sulfide concentration in the anoxic monimolimnion. Both approaches revealed the dominance of bacteria belonging to the genusThioalkalimicrobium, which are common inhabitants of soda lakes. A dense population ofThioalkalimicrobium(up to 107cells/ml) was found at the chemocline, which is characterized by a steep oxygen-sulfide gradient. TwelveThioalkalimicrobiumstrains exhibiting three different phenotypes were isolated in pure culture from various locations in Soap Lake. The isolates fell into two groups according to 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. One of the groups was closely related toT. cyclicum, which was isolated from Mono Lake (California), a transiently meromictic, haloalkaline lake. The second group, consisting of four isolates, was phylogenetically and phenotypically distinct from knownThioalkalimicrobiumspecies and unique to Soap Lake. It represented a new species, for which we suggest the nameThioalkalimicrobium microaerophilumsp. nov.

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