Metagenomic analysis of bacterial diversity of Siloam hot water spring, Limpopo, South Africa

Abstract

The bacterial diversity of Siloam hot water spring was determined using 454 pyrosequencing of two 16S
\nrRNA variable regions V1-3 and V4-7. Analysis of the community DNA revealed that the phyla
\nProteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteriodetes, Planctomycetes, Firmicutes, Chloroflexi and
\nVerrucomicrobia were the most abundant. The bacterial diversity detectable and classifiable was
\ngreater when the V4-7 variable region was used compared to the V1-3 region. The most abundant
\nbacteria genera detected with region V1-3 were; Stenotrophomonas (23.3%), Aquaspirillum (5.11%),
\nZavarzinella (2.73%), Haliscomenobacteria (1.25%), Rheinheimera (1.14%) and Tepidomonas (1.14%). All
\nthe other detectable genera were below 0.6%. Genera detected with region V4-7 from most abundant
\nwere; Stenotrophomonas (17.96%), Zavarzinella (5.81%), Aquaspirillum (4.75%), Rheinheimera (3.52%),
\nGPI (1.41%), Gemmata (1.41%) and Syntrophobacter (1.06%). All the other genera detected were below
\n0.7%. Siloam is one of the hottest thermal springs in South Africa (63°C), the water has a pH of 9.5 and
\nis relatively high in fluoride and bromide; it is possible that the physicochemical properties could have
\nsome influence on the diversity of bacteria. This article reports on the first phylogenetic analysis of a
\nSouth African thermal spring bacterial community.