Exploring Uncultured Thermophilic Archaea Hidden in Terrestrial Hot Springs

Abstract

 Previous single-gene surveys using 16S rRNA gene-based methods have revealed the phylogenetic classification, distribution, and diversity of as-yet uncultivated microbial lineages in diverse environments. In particular, archaeal communities associated with high-temperature terrestrial hot springs and sediments are dominated by novel thermophilic and hyperthermophilic populations whose physiological characters and ecological roles are unknown. Recent advances in metagenomic approaches and computational processing of huge volumes of DNA sequence data have further unveiled the evolutionary importance of uncultivated hot spring archaeal lineages and previously undescribed roles in biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and metals. In this review article, the uncultured thermophilic and hyperthermophilic archaeal lineages that have accelerated our understanding of the tree of life are illustrated.