Prokaryotes: The unseen majority
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TLDR
The number of prokaryotes and the total amount of their cellular carbon on earth are estimated to be 4-6 x 10(30) cells and 350-550 Pg of C (1 Pg = 10(15) g), respectively, which is 60-100% of the estimated total carbon in plants.Abstract:
The number of prokaryotes and the total amount of their cellular carbon on earth are estimated to be 4-6 3 10 30 cells and 350-550 Pg of C (1 Pg 5 10 15 g), respectively. Thus, the total amount of prokaryotic carbon is 60-100% of the estimated total carbon in plants, and inclusion of prokaryotic carbon in global models will almost double estimates of the amount of carbon stored in living organisms. In addition, the earth's prokaryotes contain 85-130 Pg of N and 9-14 Pg of P, or about 10-fold more of these nutrients than do plants, and represent the largest pool of these nutrients in living organisms. Most of the earth's prokaryotes occur in the open ocean, in soil, and in oceanic and terrestrial subsurfaces, where the numbers of cells are 1.2 3 10 29 , 2.6 3 10 29 , 3.5 3 10 30 , and 0.25-2.5 3 10 30 , respectively. The numbers of het- erotrophic prokaryotes in the upper 200 m of the open ocean, the ocean below 200 m, and soil are consistent with average turnover times of 6-25 days, 0.8 yr, and 2.5 yr, respectively. Although subject to a great deal of uncertainty, the estimate for the average turnover time of prokaryotes in the subsurface is on the order of 1-2 3 10 3 yr. The cellular production rate for all prokaryotes on earth is estimated at 1.7 3 10 30 cellsyyr and is highest in the open ocean. The large population size and rapid growth of prokaryotes provides an enormous capacity for genetic diversity. Although invisible to the naked eye, prokaryotes are an essential component of the earth's biota. They catalyze unique and indispensable transformations in the biogeochemical cy- cles of the biosphere, produce important components of the earth's atmosphere, and represent a large portion of life's genetic diversity. Although the abundance of prokaryotes has been estimated indirectly (1, 2), the actual number of pro- karyotes and the total amount of their cellular carbon on earth have never been directly assessed. Presumably, prokaryotes' very ubiquity has discouraged investigators, because an esti- mation of the number of prokaryotes would seem to require endless cataloging of numerous habitats. To estimate the number and total carbon of prokaryotes on earth, several representative habitats were first examined. This analysis indicated that most of the prokaryotes reside in three large habitats: seawater, soil, and the sedimentysoil subsur- face. Although many other habitats contain dense populations, their numerical contribution to the total number of pro- karyotes is small. Thus, evaluating the total number and total carbon of prokaryotes on earth becomes a solvable problem. Aquatic Environments. Numerous estimates of cell density, volume, and carbon indicate that prokaryotes are ubiquitous in marine and fresh water (e.g., 3-5). Although a large range of cellular densities has been reported (10 4 -10 7 cellsyml), theread more
Citations
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Shifting the genomic gold standard for the prokaryotic species definition
TL;DR: The work package JSpecies is examined as a user-friendly, biologist-oriented interface to calculate ANI and the correlation of the tetranucleotide signatures between pairwise genomic comparisons, and results agreed with the use of ANI to substitute DDH.
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Host-Bacterial Mutualism in the Human Intestine
TL;DR: New studies are revealing how the gut microbiota has coevolved with us and how it manipulates and complements the authors' biology in ways that are mutually beneficial.
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The diversity and biogeography of soil bacterial communities
Noah Fierer,Robert B. Jackson +1 more
TL;DR: Bacterial diversity was highest in neutral soils and lower in acidic soils, with soils from the Peruvian Amazon the most acidic and least diverse in this study.
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The unseen majority: Soil microbes as drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems
TL;DR: Overall, this review shows that soil microbes must be considered as important drivers of plant diversity and productivity in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Microbial diversity in the deep sea and the underexplored “rare biosphere”
Mitchell L. Sogin,Hilary G. Morrison,Julie A. Huber,David B. Mark Welch,Susan M. Huse,Phillip R. Neal,Jesús M. Arrieta,Gerhard J. Herndl +7 more
TL;DR: It is shown that bacterial communities of deep water masses of the North Atlantic and diffuse flow hydrothermal vents are one to two orders of magnitude more complex than previously reported for any microbial environment.
References
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Lawrence G. Wayne,Don J. Brenner,R. R. Colwell,Patrick A. D. Grimont,O. Kandler,Micah I. Krichevsky,L. H. Moore,W. E. C. Moore,R. G. E. Murray,Erko Stackebrandt,M. P. Starr,H. G. Truper +11 more
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Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors present an overview of the role of soil in the formation and evolution of Soil Microbiology and Biochemistry in Perspective, as well as its relationship with Soil Organisms.
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