New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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Microscopic examination of acidic hot springs of Waiotapu, North Island, New Zealand

Dean G. Ellis
Richard L. Weiss Bizzoco
Yukari Maezato
Judith N. Baggett
Scott T. Kelley

Department of Biology
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA 92182
United States
email: rbizzoco@sunstroke.sdsu.edu

Abstract  Microorganisms other than Sulfolobus are reported for the first time in the low pH high temperature springs of Waiotapu, North Island, New Zealand. In one spring of the tourist reserve, rod-shaped organisms with a toga-like wall were observed, in addition to Sulfolobus-like spheres. In another acid hot spring, microbial cells were small and intermingled with mineral crystals, making their presence difficult to detect, even by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Evidence for the existence of microorganisms included: (1) phase contrast microscopic observation; (2) DNA-specific staining with UV microscopy; and (3) SEM examination of natural samples. At pH 2, the highest temperature at which microbes were observed was 77°C and at pH 4.5, it was 87°C. Cells at pH 2, 77°C were small rods encrusted with mineral crystals shown by X-ray microanalysis to consist mainly of silicon and aluminum. At pH 4.5, spherical, rod-shaped, and filamentous cells were seen. Attempts to culture the observed microbes were unsuccessful. PCR, cloning, sequencing, and BLAST analysis identified Thermofilum pendens in Champagne Pool, and Sulfobacillus, Thiobacillus, and several unknown bacteria in Frying Pan Flat pools.

Keywords  acid; hot spring; microbe; microorganism; PCR; thermal

M04093; Online publication date 22 July 2005 Received 14 April 2004; accepted 4 April 2005
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2005, Vol. 39: 1001-1011
0028-8330/05/3905-1001 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005

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