FIG 8.

The aCPSF1 and 16S rRNA taxonomic systems surveyed similar archaeal diversities in a South China Sea cold seep sediment. The reductive sediment of a South China Sea cold seep was sampled until 180 cm below sea floor and sectioned into four, and then the total DNA was extracted. (A) Metagenome sequencing was performed on the DNA from each section, and the aCPSF1 orthologs were identified as described in Materials and Methods section. Archaea were identified to as lowest as possible taxonomic level based on the standard of aCPSF1 taxonomic ranks. (B) Archaeal 16S rRNAs diversity in each section was surveyed via high throughout amplicon sequencing on the sequence flanking the V4 and V5 regions, and archaea were identified according to the 16S rRNA sequence similarity.