Transcription patterns of nifH (A), group 2-specific nifD (B), and mcrA (C) at different depths of the sediment core (946C2) and the clonal phylotype composition of the expressed nifH genes at all the depths of the sediments (D). (A, B, and C) Ten microliters of PCR solution was loaded on agarose gel. M, 100-bp ladder marker. PCRs were conducted with (+) and without (−) RT. (D) In total, 96.1% of the expressed nifH genes were assigned to methane seep group 2.