生物谷報(bào)道：研究人員已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)了居住在比海底還要深得多的微生物,，它們所在的深度比從前記錄到的任何生物群體都還要深,。該研究發(fā)表在22的《科學(xué)》上面。
研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)一種原核生物種群,，它們是一種缺乏細(xì)胞核的生物,。它們存在于海底以下1626米的沉積物中，其年齡有1億1100萬年之久,，而其生活的環(huán)境在60-100攝氏度之間（相當(dāng)于140-212華氏度）,。這些新近證明的原核生物細(xì)胞看來依舊代謝活躍并在分裂。
研究人員對(duì)這些細(xì)胞的遺傳物質(zhì)進(jìn)行了分析并發(fā)現(xiàn),，它們的基因序列與某些已知的喜愛灼熱環(huán)境的生物,，或稱噬熱生物的基因序列相匹配。研究人員認(rèn)為這些原核生物屬于古生菌,，它們能夠在灼熱的沉積物環(huán)境中旺盛生長(zhǎng),，而這些沉積物環(huán)境的特征是其熱能資源以及高濃度的甲烷和碳?xì)浠衔铩Ｋ麄兊陌l(fā)現(xiàn)特別令人感到有趣,，因?yàn)槿藗冋J(rèn)為在海底以下的沉積物中含有多達(dá)2/3的地球上的所有原核生物,，但是這一新的發(fā)現(xiàn)表明，生命存在的深度比從前想象的要深很多,。（生物谷www.bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
Science,， Vol. 320. no. 5879, p. 1046，Erwan G. Roussel,，R. John Parkes
Extending the Sub-Sea-Floor Biosphere
Erwan G. Roussel,1 Marie-Anne Cambon Bonavita,1 Joël Querellou,1 Barry A. Cragg,2 Gordon Webster,2 Daniel Prieur,1 R. John Parkes2*
Sub-sea-floor sediments may contain two-thirds of Earth's total prokaryotic biomass. However, this has its basis in data extrapolation from ~500-meter to 4-kilometer depths, whereas the deepest documented prokaryotes are from only 842 meters. Here, we provide evidence for low concentrations of living prokaryotic cells in the deepest (1626 meters below the sea floor), oldest (111 million years old), and potentially hottest marine sediments investigated. These Newfoundland margin sediments also have DNA sequences related to thermophilic and/or hyperthermophilic Archaea. These form two unique clusters within Pyrococcus and Thermococcus genera, suggesting unknown, uncultured groups are present in deep, hot, marine sediments . Sequences of anaerobic methane-oxidizing Archaea were also present, suggesting a deep biosphere partly supported by methane. These findings demonstrate that the sub-sea-floor biosphere extends to at least 1600 meters below the sea floor and probably deeper, given an upper temperature limit for prokaryotic life of at least and increasing thermogenic energy supply with depth.
1 Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmes, UMR 6197, Université de Bretagne Occidentale, Ifremer, Centre de Brest, BP70, 29280 Plouzané, France.
2 School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Main Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3YE, UK.
