Table 1 Primers and probes used in this study.

EUB338

5'-GCTGCCTCCCGTAGGAGT-3'

355 to 338

Bacteria

[9]

ARCH915

5'-GTGCTCCCCCGCCAATTCCT-3'

934 to 915

Archaea

[10]

I-341f

5'-CCTACGGGIGGCIGCA-3'

341 to 356

Bacteria

[8]

U515f

5'-GTGYCAGCMGCCGCGGTAA-3'

515 to 533

Universal

[7]

U1492r

5'-GGTTACCTTGTTACGACTT-3'

1510 to 1492

Universal

[7]

B341f

5'-CCTACGGGAGGCAGCAG-3'

341 to 357

Bacteria

[11]

U533r

5'-TTACCGCGGCKGCTGRCAC-3'

533 to 515

Bacteria

[11]

B968f

5'-AACGCGAAGAACCTTAC-3'

968 to 984

Bacteria

[12]

DV387f

5'-CCTGACGCAGCGACG-3'

387 to 401

δ-Proteobacteria

[13]

DV701r

5'-ACGGATTTCACTCCTACACC-3'

701 to 682

Desulfovibrio

[14]

EP710r

5'-CAGTATCATCCCAGCAGA-3'

710 to 693

Cluster-1 bacteria

[1]

DT1041r

5'-CACCCGAIGGTGAAAACGTAC-3'

1041 to 1021

Part of Desulfotomaculum

This study

AB1173r

5'-GTGTTATCCACGGCAGTCTGCT-3'

1173 to 1152

Acetobacterium

This study

AZ665r

5'-CTGCCGTACTCTAGTCATAC-3'

665 to 646

Parts of Azoarcus and Zoogloea

This study^b

DB1286r

5'-AGGATTGGCTCCCCCTCACA-3'

1286 to 1267

Part of Desulfobacula

This study

T7W

5'-TAATACGACTCACTATAGGGC-3'

pGEM-T vector

[1]

SP6W

5'-ATTTAGGTGACACTATAGAATACTC-3'

pGEM-T vector

[1]