Bacterial communities in two Antarctic ice cores analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis

Antarctic ice cores could preserve ancient airborne microorganisms. We examined bacteria in two Antarctic ice core samples, an interglacial age sample from Mizuho Base and a glacial age sample from the Yamato Mountains, by 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis. Bacterial density, the number of bacterial OTUs and Simpson’s diversity index was larger in the Mizuho sample than in the Yamato sample. The 16S rDNA clone library from the Mizuho sample was dominated by the phylum Firmicutes, while the large part of that from the Yamato sample was composed of the Gamma proteobacteria group. Major sources of these identified bacteria estimated from their database records also differed between the samples: in the Mizuho sample bacterial species recorded from animals were higher than that of the Yamato sample, while in the Yamato sample bacteria from aquatic and snow-ice environments were higher than that of the Mizuho sample. The results suggest that these bacteria were past airborne bacteria that would vary in density, diversity and species composition depending on global environmental change. Our results imply that bacteria in Antarctic ice cores could be used as new environmental markers for past environmental studies.