• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.315-329
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• 2010

Characteristics of thermophilic bacteria and secondary materials on the pyrrhotite surface were investigated by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The thermophilic bacteria from an acid hot spring in Japan were incubated with pyrrhotite at $42^{\circ}C$, $52^{\circ}C$, and $62^{\circ}C$ respectively. SEM analysis of the reacted pyrrhotite showed that indigenous rod-shaped bacteria ranging from $0.4{\times}1.5{\mu}m$ to $0.3{\times}11.9{\mu}m$ in size were attached to the pyrrhotite surface at these temperatures with formation of secondary materials. Extracellular polymer substances were formed on the bacterial surface. We suggest that these polymers functioned as a capsule protecting bacteria from the extreme environment. Secondary materials such as elemental sulfur, Fe-hydroxide, S-Fe and O-P-Fe compounds were found on the pyrrhotite surface.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.147-155
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• 2008

The diversity of sulfate reducing bacteria was investigated in different depths of sediments in Lake Sihwa, Korea and Lake Aha, China by PCR amplification, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and clone libraries targeting dissimilatory sulfite redectase (dsr) gene. In the analysis of DGGE band patterns, the community compositions of dsr gene in the sediments of both lakes were significantly different whereas bands in all depths of each environment revealed similar patterns. Bands from Lake Sihwa were produced much more than those from Lake Aha, demonstrating a higher diversity of dsr gene in Lake Sihwa. Total 68 clones containing dsr gene were obtained to analyze their sequences. Sequences from the sediment of Lake Sihwa were affiliated to Deltaproteobacteria, the Gram-positive thermophilic sulfate reducers belonging to the genus Desulforomaculum and archaeal thermophilic SRB belonging to the genus Archaeoglobus, whereas sequences from the sediments of Lake Aha were related to genus Desulfotomaculum. Clones retrieved from sediment of Lake Sihwa revealed a higher numbers than those of Lake Aha, demonstrating a higher diversity of dsr gene in Lake Sihwa. Most of clones (59%) were distantly related to the known cultivated SRB with $60\sim65%$ of similarity, which were clustered only the sequences from the environments showed less than 90% similarity. These habitat specific sequences suggested that the clustered dsr sequences represent species or groups of species that were indigenous to these environments. This study showed that these lakes have a specific bacterial communities having dsr gene distinct from those in other environments such as soil and marine ecosystems around the world.