Characterization of Cytophaga-Flavobacteria community structure in the bering sea by cluster-specific 16S rRNA gene amplification analysis

A newly designed Cytophaga-Flavobacteria-specific 16S rRNA gene primer pair was employed to investigate the CF community structure in the Bering Sea, revealing a previously unknown and unexpected high CF diversity in this high latitude cold sea. In total, 56 clones were sequenced and 50 unique CF 16 rRNA gene fragments were obtained, clustering into 16 CF subgroups, including nine cosmopolitan subgroups, five psychrophilic subgroups, and two putatively autochthonous subgroups. The majority of sequences (82%) were closely related to uncultured CF species and could not be classified into known CF genera, indicating the presence of a large number of so-far uncultivated CF species in the Bering Sea.