Genetic comparison of water molds from embryos of amphibians Rana cascadae, Bufo boreas and Pseudacris regilla.

Water molds that cause the disease saprolegniasis have been implicated in widespread mortality of amphibian embryos. However, because of the limitations of traditional identification methods, water mold species involved in die-offs or utilized in ecological studies often remain unidentified or identified only as Saprolegnia ferax. Furthermore, water mold taxonomy requires revision, so very distinct organisms may all be called S.

Diversity of extremophilic purple phototrophic bacteria in Soap Lake, a Central Washington (USA) Soda Lake.

Culture-based and culture-independent methods were used to explore the diversity of phototrophic purple bacteria in Soap Lake, a small meromictic soda lake in the western USA. Among soda lakes, Soap Lake is unusual because it consists of distinct upper and lower water bodies of vastly different salinities, and its deep waters contain up to 175 mM sulfide. From Soap Lake water new alkaliphilic purple sulfur bacteria of the families Chromatiaceae and Ectothiorhodospiraceae were cultured, and one purple non-sulfur bacterium was isolated.

Spatial and temporal patterns in the microbial diversity of a meromictic soda lake in Washington State.

The microbial community diversity and composition of meromictic Soap Lake were studied using culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches. The water column and sediments were sampled monthly for a year. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes showed an increase in diversity with depth for both groups.

Fe(III), Cr(VI), and Fe(III) mediated Cr(VI) reduction in alkaline media using a Halomonas isolate from Soap Lake, Washington.

Hexavalent chromium is one of the most widely distributed environmental contaminants. Given the carcinogenic and mutagenic consequences of Cr(VI) exposure, the release of Cr(VI) into the environment has long been a major concern. While many reports of microbial Cr(VI) reduction are in circulation, very few have demonstrated Cr(VI) reduction under alkaline conditions.

Sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in Soap Lake (Washington State), a meromictic, haloalkaline lake with an unprecedented high sulfide content.

Culture-dependent and -independent techniques were used to study the diversity of chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria in Soap Lake (Washington State), a meromictic, haloalkaline lake containing an unprecedentedly high sulfide concentration in the anoxic monimolimnion. Both approaches revealed the dominance of bacteria belonging to the genus Thioalkalimicrobium, which are common inhabitants of soda lakes. A dense population of Thioalkalimicrobium (up to 10(7) cells/ml) was found at the chemocline, which is characterized by a steep oxygen-sulfide gradient.

Nitrincola lacisaponensis gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel alkaliphilic bacterium isolated from an alkaline, saline lake.

A novel alkaliphilic bacterium, strain 4CAT, was isolated from decomposing wood taken from the shore of Soap Lake, a saline, alkaline lake in Grant County, WA, USA. Cells of the isolate were Gram-negative, asporogenous, short, motile rods that utilized only a limited range of organic acids as sole carbon and energy sources. In addition to oxygen, the strain possessed the ability to reduce in the presence of acetate.