Diverse and Novel nifH and nifH-Like Gene Sequences in the Deep-Sea Methane Seep Sediments of the Okhotsk Sea

• Published in: Applied and Environmental Microbiology
• Main Authors: Dang, Hongyue, Luan, Xiwu, Zhao, Jingyi, Li, Jing, Dang, HY, China Univ Petr E China, Ctr Bioengn & Biotechnol, Qingdao 266555, Peoples R China
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology; Microbiology; Okhotsk; Methane hydrate; okhotsk sea
• Online Access: http://ir.qdio.ac.cn/handle/337002/1829; https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02556-08

Diverse nifH and nifH-like gene sequences were obtained from the deep-sea surface sediments of the methane hydrate-bearing Okhotsk Sea. Some sequences formed novel families of the NifH or NifH-like proteins, of currently unresolved bacterial or archaeal origin. Comparison with other marine environments indicates environmental specificity of some of the sequences, either unique to the methane seep sediments of the Okhotsk Sea or to the general deep-sea methane seep sedimentary environments. Diverse nifH and nifH-like gene sequences were obtained from the deep-sea surface sediments of the methane hydrate-bearing Okhotsk Sea. Some sequences formed novel families of the NifH or NifH-like proteins, of currently unresolved bacterial or archaeal origin. Comparison with other marine environments indicates environmental specificity of some of the sequences, either unique to the methane seep sediments of the Okhotsk Sea or to the general deep-sea methane seep sedimentary environments.