Metagenomic analysis of basal ice from an Alaskan glacier.

BackgroundGlaciers cover ~ 10% of land but are among the least explored environments on Earth. The basal portion of glaciers often harbors unique aquatic microbial ecosystems in the absence of sunlight, and knowledge on the microbial community structures and their metabolic potential is very limited...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kayani, Masood Ur Rehman, Doyle, Shawn M, Sangwan, Naseer, Wang, Guanqun, Gilbert, Jack A, Christner, Brent C, Zhu, Ting F
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:unknown
Published: eScholarship, University of California 2018
Subjects:
RNA
16S
DNA
Online Access:https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5j28g840
Description
Summary:BackgroundGlaciers cover ~ 10% of land but are among the least explored environments on Earth. The basal portion of glaciers often harbors unique aquatic microbial ecosystems in the absence of sunlight, and knowledge on the microbial community structures and their metabolic potential is very limited. Here, we provide insights into the microbial lifestyle present at the base of the Matanuska Glacier, Alaska.ResultsDNA and RNA were extracted from samples of the Matanuska Glacier basal ice. Using Illumina MiSeq and HiSeq sequencing, we investigated the microbial diversity with the metagenomic shotgun reads and 16S ribosomal RNA data. We further assembled 9 partial and draft bacterial genomes from the metagenomic assembly, and identified key metabolic pathways such as sulfur oxidation and nitrification. Collectively, our analyses suggest a prevalence of lithotrophic and heterotrophic metabolisms in the subglacial microbiome.ConclusionOur results present the first metagenomic assembly and bacterial draft genomes for a subglacial environment. These results extend our understanding of the chemical and biological processes in subglacial environments critically influenced by global climate change.