The Structure of Microbial Community and Degradation of Diatoms in the Deep Near-Bottom Layer of Lake Baikal

A study on Lake Baikal reveals that the majority of bacteria in its deep near-bottom water layer are associated with diatom cells, either on their surface or within them. This finding is crucial for understanding silica turnover in aquatic ecosystems. Researchers used microscopic methods and pyrosequencing to analyze 149,208 unique bacterial sequences, identifying Proteobacteria (41.9%) as the dominant phylum, followed by Actinobacteria (16%), Acidobacteria (6.9%), and others. The metagenomic analysis also detected bacteria with potential hydrolytic enzyme activity, suggesting their role in diatom degradation. This research sheds light on the microbial community structure and its ecological functions in this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Zakharova, Y. R., Galachyants, Y. P., Kurilkina, M. I., Likhoshvay, A. V., Petrova, D. P., Shishlyannikov, S. M., Ravin, N. V., Mardanov, A. V., Beletsky, A. V., & Likhoshway, Y. V. (2013). The Structure of Microbial Community and Degradation of Diatoms in the Deep Near-Bottom Layer of Lake Baikal. PLoS ONE, 8(4), e59977. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0059977