Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Knowlton, Caitlin N.
Language:English
Published: Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1362670626
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spelling ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-bgsu13626706262021-08-03T05:20:49Z Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels Knowlton, Caitlin N. Microbiology Molecular Biology Bioinformatics glacial ice Greenland metagenomic metatranscriptomic microbes bacteria bioinformatics carbon dioxide Glacial ice entraps microbial cells and nucleic acids that have been deposited from the atmosphere by precipitation or on dust particles carried by the wind. The ice is deposited in sequential layers representing distinct past periods of time. Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics offer means to perform comprehensive analyses of microbial genes and taxa within the ice. During the past 400,000 years, fluctuations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have directly coincided with temperature fluctuations. Three ice core sections from Byrd Station, Antarctica (80° 1’ S, 119° 31’ W) and three ice core sections from GISP 2D (Greenland Ice Sheet Project, core 2D; 72o 36' N, 38o 30'W) were aseptically melted. Two of the ice core sections from GISP 2D (at 1600 m = 10,500 ybp [years before present] and at 3014 m = 157,000 ybp) were analyzed using metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses. The 157,000 year old ice core section was deposited during low atmospheric CO2 levels that would have led to low temperatures, low precipitation rates, and high dust levels, while the 10,500 year old core section was deposited during high CO2 levels that would have led to higher temperatures, higher precipitation rates, and lower dust levels. Nucleic acids from ultracentrifuge-concentrated meltwater were subjected to 454 pyrosequencing. Taxonomic analyses were based on rRNA and mRNA sequences. Taxa in the 10,500 ybp ice primarily included bacterial species of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Cyanobacteria. This sample also contained black particulate matter indicative of volcanic activity. Major volcanic activity was reported in Iceland, Alaska, and from a super volcano in Italy during the 10,500 ybp time period. The 157,000 ybp sample also contained a large number of Proteobacteria and Firmicute species, a few Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria, but most were common soil bacteria, as well as animal pathogens. The number and frequency of cyanobacterial species was much higher. While some species were in common to both samples, a large number of unique taxa and genes were present in each of the samples. These unique taxa and genes suggest different atmospheric conditions may influence the deposition of microbes in ice. 2013-04-09 English text Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1362670626 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1362670626 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection NDLTD
language English
sources NDLTD
topic Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
glacial ice
Greenland
metagenomic
metatranscriptomic
microbes
bacteria
bioinformatics
carbon dioxide
spellingShingle Microbiology
Molecular Biology
Bioinformatics
glacial ice
Greenland
metagenomic
metatranscriptomic
microbes
bacteria
bioinformatics
carbon dioxide
Knowlton, Caitlin N.
Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
author Knowlton, Caitlin N.
author_facet Knowlton, Caitlin N.
author_sort Knowlton, Caitlin N.
title Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
title_short Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
title_full Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
title_fullStr Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of microbes in Greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
title_sort analysis of microbes in greenland ice cores from periods of high and low atmospheric carbon dioxide levels
publisher Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK
publishDate 2013
url http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1362670626
work_keys_str_mv AT knowltoncaitlinn analysisofmicrobesingreenlandicecoresfromperiodsofhighandlowatmosphericcarbondioxidelevels
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