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Characterization of Bacterial Symbionts in Deep-Sea Fauna: Protocols for Sample Conditioning, Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization, and Image Analysis

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Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols

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Abstract

Symbioses with bacteria are key adaptations allowing various groups of metazoans to reach high biomasses at deep sea reducing habitats including hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. Characterizing these associations is challenging due to the constraints associated with work on deep-sea organisms. These include limited sample availability, impact of recovery procedures and shipment on sample quality, and general lack of environmental data. In this chapter, a standard procedure for sample processing at sea which can maximize sample use back in the laboratory is presented, with example protocols for sample fixation, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-based localization of symbionts in animal tissues, and estimation of their relative abundances in the case of multiple symbioses.

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Correspondence to Sébastien Duperron .

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Duperron, S. (2015). Characterization of Bacterial Symbionts in Deep-Sea Fauna: Protocols for Sample Conditioning, Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization, and Image Analysis. In: McGenity, T., Timmis, K., Nogales , B. (eds) Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols. Springer Protocols Handbooks. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2015_73

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/8623_2015_73

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-53116-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-53118-1

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