Dr. Craig Cary's Abstracts

Molecular identification and localization of a filamentous symbiotic bacteria associated with the hydrothermal vent Annelid, Alvinella pompejana
S.C. Cary, M.T. Cottrell, J.L. Stein, F. Camacho and D. Desbruyeres
1997, Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63:1124-1130.

Abstract

Alvinella pompejana is a polychaetous annelid that inhabits high temperature environments associated with active deep-sea hydrothermal vents along the East Pacific Rise. A unique and diverse epibiotic microflora with a prominent filamentous morphotype is found associated with the worm's dorsal integument. A previous study established the taxonomic position of two epsilon Proteobacterial phylotypes, 13B and 5A, which dominated a clone library of 16S rRNA genes amplified by PCR from the epibiotic microbial community of an A. pompejana specimen. In the present study deoxyoligonuceotide PCR primers specific for phylotypes 13B and 5A were used to demonstrate that these phylotypes are a regular feature of the bacterial community associated with A. pompejana. Assaying other surfaces around colonies of A. pompejanarevealed that phylotypes 13B and 5A are not restricted to A. pompejana. Phylotype 13B occurred on the exterior surface of other invertebrate genera and rock surfaces and phylotype 5A occurred on a congener, A. caudata. The 13B and 5A phylotypes were identified and localized on A. pompejana using in situ hybridization demonstrating that these two phylotypes are, in fact, the prominent filamentous bacteria on the dorsal integument of A. pompejana. These findings indicate that the filamentous bacterial symbionts of A. pompejanaare epsilon Proteobacteria which do not have an obligate requirement for A. pompejana.