Skip Navigation
Skip to contents

Journal of Microbiology : Journal of Microbiology

OPEN ACCESS
SEARCH
Search
Advanced Search
mobile menu button

Articles

Page Path
HOME > J. Microbiol > Volume 46(4); 2008 > Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
An Examination of the Bacteriophages and Bacteria of the Namib Desert
Eric Prestel , Sylvie Salamitou , Michael S. DuBow
Journal of Microbiology 2008;46(4):364-372.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-008-0007-4
Published online: August 31, 2008
Laboratoire de Geomique et Biodiversite Microbienne des Biofilms, Universite Paris-Sud 11, Institut de Geneique et Microbiologie, CNRS UMR 8621, Batiment 409, 91405 Orsay, France
Corresponding author:  Michael S. DuBow , Tel: 33-1-6915-4612, 
Received: 3 January 2008   • Accepted: 13 June 2008
prev next
  • 230 Views
  • 0 Download
  • 56 Crossref
  • 65 Scopus
Full Article

Download PDF Download PDF

Abstract

Bacteria and their viruses (called bacteriophages, or phages), have been found in virtually every ecological niche on Earth. Arid regions, including their most extreme form called deserts, represent the single largest ecosystem type on the Earth''s terrestrial surface. The Namib desert is believed to be the oldest (80 million years) desert. We report here an initial analysis of bacteriophages isolated from the Namib desert using a combination of electron microscopy and genomic approaches. The virus-like particles observed by electron microscopy revealed 20 seemingly different phage-like morphologies and sizes belonging to the Myoviridae and Siphoviridae families of tailed phages. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed a majority of phage genomes of 55~65 kb in length, with genomes of approximately 200, 300, and 350 kb also observable. Sample sequencing of cloned phage DNA fragments revealed that approximately 50% appeared to be of bacterial origin. Of the remaining DNA sequences, approximately 50% displayed no significant match to any sequence in the databases. The majority of the 16S rDNA sequences amplified from DNA extracted from the sand displayed considerable (94~98%) homology to members of the Firmicutes, and in particular to members of the genus Bacillus, though members of the Bacteroidetes, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and delta-Proteobacteria groups were also observed.

  • Cite this Article
    Cite this Article
    export Copy Download
    Close
    Download Citation
    Download a citation file in RIS format that can be imported by all major citation management software, including EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and Reference Manager.
    Format:
    • RIS — For EndNote, ProCite, RefWorks, and most other reference management software
    • BibTeX — For JabRef, BibDesk, and other BibTeX-specific software
    Include:
    • Citation for the content below
    An Examination of the Bacteriophages and Bacteria of the Namib Desert
    J. Microbiol. 2008;46(4):364-372.   Published online August 31, 2008
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12275-008-0007-4
    Close
Related articles
Journal of Microbiology : Journal of Microbiology
© The Microbiological Society of Korea.
TOP