Microbial eukaryotes in the suboxic chemosynthetic ecosystem of Movile Cave, Romania.

Movile Cave is a small system of partially inundated galleries in limestone settings close to the Black Sea in Southeast Romania. Isolated from the surface for 6 million years, its sulfidic, methane and ammonia-rich waters harbour unique chemosynthetic prokaryotic communities that include sulphur and ammonium-metabolizing chemolithotrophs, methanogens, methanotrophs and methylotrophs. The cave also harbours cave-dwelling invertebrates and fungi, but the diversity of other microbial eukaryotes remained completely unknown.

Cultivable microscopic fungi from an underground chemosynthesis-based ecosystem: a preliminary study.

Movile Cave, a unique groundwater ecosystem in southern Romania, was discovered in 1986. This chemoautotrophic cave contains an abundant and diverse fauna with terrestrial and aquatic invertebrate communities, including 33 endemic species. Since its discovery, studies have focused mainly on cave chemoautotrophic bacteria, while the microfungal community has been largely neglected.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Methane-Oxidizing Bacterium "Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB" Isolated from Movile Cave.

We describe the draft genome sequence of "Candidatus Methylomonas sp. LWB" isolated from Movile Cave microbial mat samples. The genome contains both the soluble and particular methane monooxygenase; however, one of the putative particulate methane monooxygenase gene clusters is ordered pmoABC rather than in the canonical gene arrangement of pmoCAB.

Draft Genome Sequences of Facultative Methylotrophs, Gemmobacter sp. Strain LW1 and Mesorhizobium sp. Strain 1M-11, Isolated from Movile Cave, Romania.

Facultative methylotrophs belonging to the genera Gemmobacter and Mesorhizobium were isolated from microbial mat and cave water samples obtained from the Movile Cave ecosystem. Both bacteria can utilize methylated amines as their sole carbon and nitrogen source. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of Gemmobacter sp.

Bacterial metabolism of methylated amines and identification of novel methylotrophs in Movile Cave.

Movile Cave, Romania, is an unusual underground ecosystem that has been sealed off from the outside world for several million years and is sustained by non-phototrophic carbon fixation. Methane and sulfur-oxidising bacteria are the main primary producers, supporting a complex food web that includes bacteria, fungi and cave-adapted invertebrates. A range of methylotrophic bacteria in Movile Cave grow on one-carbon compounds including methylated amines, which are produced via decomposition of organic-rich microbial mats.