Extracellular DNA in deep-sea sediments represents a major repository of genes, which previously belonged to living organisms. However, the extent to which these extracellular genes influence current estimates of prokaryotic biodiversity is unknown. We investigated the abundance and diversity of 16S rDNA sequences contained within extracellular DNA from continental margins of different biogeographic regions. We also compared the taxonomic composition of microbial assemblages through the analysis of extracellular DNA and DNA associated with living cells. 16S rDNA contained in the extracellular DNA pool contributed up to 50% of the total 16S rDNA copy number determined in the sediments. Ca. 4% of extracellular Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were shared among the different biogeographic regions revealing the presence of a core of preserved OTUs. A higher fraction of OTUs was exclusive of each region potentially due to its geographic and thermohaline characteristics. Ca. one third of the OTUs identified in the extracellular DNA were absent from living prokaryotic assemblages, possibly representing the signatures of past assemblages. Our findings expand the knowledge of the contribution of extracellular microbial sequences to current estimates of prokaryotic diversity obtained through the analyses of “environmental DNA”, and open new perspectives for understanding microbial successions in benthic ecosystems.
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