Microbial Communities in and Around the Siboglinid Tubeworms from the South Yungan East Ridge Cold Seep Offshore Southwestern Taiwan at the Northern South China Sea.

To date, only a few microbial community studies of cold seeps at the South China Sea (SCS) have been reported. The cold seep dominated by tubeworms was discovered at South Yungan East Ridge (SYER) offshore southwestern Taiwan by miniROV. The tubeworms were identified and proposed as sp.

gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel methanoarchaeon isolated from cold seep sediment and reclassification of as gen. nov., comb. nov.

A hydrogenotrophic methanoarchaeon, designated strain FWC-SCC4, was isolated from cold seep sediment of Four-Way Closure Ridge, offshore southwestern Taiwan. Strain FWC-SCC4utilizes H/CO or formate, but not acetate, secondary alcohols, methylamines, methanol or ethanol for growth and methane production. Yeast extract is required for growth.

Six novel species of the genus isolated from various environments in Taiwan.

Taiwan is situated in the subtropical region and its geographical location and topographical features contribute to a rich ecological diversity and scenic landscapes. We investigated the diversity of methanogens in different environments of Taiwan using a culture-dependent method. This report presents the characterization and taxonomy of six hydrogenotrophic methanogens obtained from cold seep sediments (strain FWC-SCC1 and FWC-SCC3), marine sediments (strain CWC-02 and YWC-01), estuarine sediments (strain Afa-1), and a hot spring well (strain Wushi-C6) in Taiwan.

gen. nov., sp. nov., the first oceanic methanogen, isolated from potential methane hydrate bearing area offshore southwestern Taiwan.

A novel mesophilic, hydrogenotrophic methanogen, strain CWC-04, was obtained from a sediment sample extracted from a gravity core retrieved at station 22 within the KP-9 area off the southwestern coast of Taiwan during the ORIII-1368 cruise in 2009. Cells of strain CWC-04 were rod-shaped, 1.4-2.

Shifting in the Dominant Bacterial Group Is Independent of the Dissociation With Coral Symbiont Algae.

The coral-associated are dominant bacteria in the coral holobiont. Their relative abundance usually decreases with heat-induced coral bleaching and is proposed to be positively correlated with Symbiodiniaceae abundance. It remains unclear whether this phenomenon of decreased abundance is caused by temperature stress or a decreased abundance of Symbiodiniaceae.

Insights into gene regulation of the halovirus His2 infecting Haloarcula hispanica.

Gene expression in Haloarcula hispanica cells infected with the gammapleolipovirus His2 was studied using a custom DNA microarray. Total RNA from cells sampled at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4.5 hr postinfection was reverse-transcribed into labeled cDNA and hybridized to microarrays, revealing temporal and differential expression in both host and viral genes.

A Newly Designed Primer Revealed High Phylogenetic Diversity of Endozoicomonas in Coral Reefs.

Endozoicomonas bacteria are commonly regarded as having a potentially symbiotic relationship with their coral hosts. However, their diversity and phylogeny in samples collected from various sources remain unclear. Therefore, we designed an Endozoicomonas-specific primer paired with a bacterial universal primer to detect the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes of this taxon and conducted an in-depth investigation of the Endozoicomonas community structure in reef-building corals.

Draft Genome Sequence of Strain M1-1, Which Causes Acute Hepatopancreatic Necrosis Disease in Shrimp in Vietnam.

We report here the genome sequence of strain M1-1, which causes a mild form of shrimp acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (AHPND). Compared to other virulent strains, the M1-1 genome appeared to express several additional genes, while some genes were missing. These instabilities may be related to the reduced virulence of M1-1.

Haloterrigena mahii sp. nov., an extremely halophilic archaeon from a solar saltern.

A pleomorphic, gas-vesicle-containing, halophilic archaeon, designated strain H13T, was isolated from the solar saltern of the Western Salt Co., Chula Vista, California, USA. Cells of strain H13T were non-motile, rod-shaped and 3-10 µm in length.

Genomic Insight into the Host-Endosymbiont Relationship of Endozoicomonas montiporae CL-33(T) with its Coral Host.

The bacterial genus Endozoicomonas was commonly detected in healthy corals in many coral-associated bacteria studies in the past decade. Although, it is likely to be a core member of coral microbiota, little is known about its ecological roles. To decipher potential interactions between bacteria and their coral hosts, we sequenced and investigated the first culturable endozoicomonal bacterium from coral, the E.

Integrated multi-omics analyses reveal the biochemical mechanisms and phylogenetic relevance of anaerobic androgen biodegradation in the environment.

Steroid hormones, such as androgens, are common surface-water contaminants. However, literature on the ecophysiological relevance of steroid-degrading organisms in the environment, particularly in anoxic ecosystems, is extremely limited. We previously reported that Steroidobacter denitrificans anaerobically degrades androgens through the 2,3-seco pathway.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Extremely Halophilic Archaeon Haloarcula hispanica Strain N601.

Haloarcula hispanica has been widely used in haloarchaeal studies, particularly in the isolation of haloviruses. The genome of strain N601, a laboratory derivative of the type strain ATCC 33960, was sequenced. Several potentially significant differences from the published sequence of the type strain (CGMCC 1.

The biotechnological potential of the extreme halophilic archaea Haloterrigena sp. H13 in xenobiotic metabolism using a comparative genomics approach.

Extreme halophilic archaea are thriving and dominant populations within hypersaline environments. Because of the extreme properties of the enzymes of halophilic archaea and similar metabolic abilities to their bacterial counterparts, our interests focus on their potential biotechnological applications. In this study, the partial genome of a newly isolated extreme halophilic archaeon, Haloterrigena sp.