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Gao Y, Zhu H, Wang J, Shao Z, Wei S, Wang R, Cheng R, Jiang L. Physiological and Genomic Characterization of a Novel Obligately Chemolithoautotrophic, Sulfur-Oxidizing Bacterium of Genus Thiomicrorhabdus Isolated from a Coastal Sediment. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2569. [PMID: 37894227 PMCID: PMC10608990 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Thiomicrorhabdus species, belonging to the family Piscirickettsiaceae in the phylum Pseudomonadotav are usually detected in various sulfur-rich marine environments. However, only a few bacteria of Thiomicrorhabdus have been isolated, and their ecological roles and environmental adaptations still require further understanding. Here, we report a novel strain, XGS-01T, isolated from a coastal sediment, which belongs to genus Thiomicrorhabdus and is most closely related to Thiomicrorhabdus hydrogeniphila MAS2T, with a sequence similarity of 97.8%. Phenotypic characterization showed that XGS-01T is a mesophilic, sulfur-oxidizing, obligate chemolithoautotrophy, with carbon dioxide as its sole carbon source and oxygen as its sole electron acceptor. During thiosulfate oxidation, strain XGS-01T can produce extracellular sulfur of elemental α-S8, as confirmed via scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectromicroscopy. Polyphasic taxonomy results indicate that strain XGS-01T represents a novel species of the genus Thiomicrorhabdus, named Thiomicrorhabdus lithotrophica sp. nov. Genomic analysis confirmed that XGS-01T performed thiosulfate oxidation through a sox multienzyme complex, and harbored fcc and sqr genes for sulfide oxidation. Comparative genomics analysis among five available genomes from Thiomicrorhabdus species revealed that carbon fixation via the oxidation of reduced-sulfur compounds coupled with oxygen reduction is conserved metabolic pathways among members of genus Thiomicrorhabdus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- School of Marine Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Han Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Shiping Wei
- School of Marine Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ruicheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Ruolin Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lijing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China (J.W.); (R.W.)
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- School of Marine Biology, Xiamen Ocean Vocational College, Xiamen 361005, China
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2
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McKay LJ, Nigro OD, Dlakić M, Luttrell KM, Rusch DB, Fields MW, Inskeep WP. Sulfur cycling and host-virus interactions in Aquificales-dominated biofilms from Yellowstone's hottest ecosystems. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:842-855. [PMID: 34650231 PMCID: PMC8857204 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01132-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Modern linkages among magmatic, geochemical, and geobiological processes provide clues about the importance of thermophiles in the origin of biogeochemical cycles. The aim of this study was to identify the primary chemoautotrophs and host-virus interactions involved in microbial colonization and biogeochemical cycling at sublacustrine, vapor-dominated vents that represent the hottest measured ecosystems in Yellowstone National Park (~140 °C). Filamentous microbial communities exposed to extreme thermal and geochemical gradients were sampled using a remotely operated vehicle and subjected to random metagenome sequencing and microscopic analyses. Sulfurihydrogenibium (phylum Aquificae) was the predominant lineage (up to 84% relative abundance) detected at vents that discharged high levels of dissolved H2, H2S, and CO2. Metabolic analyses indicated carbon fixation by Sulfurihydrogenibium spp. was powered by the oxidation of reduced sulfur and H2, which provides organic carbon for heterotrophic community members. Highly variable Sulfurihydrogenibium genomes suggested the importance of intra-population diversity under extreme environmental and viral pressures. Numerous lytic viruses (primarily unclassified taxa) were associated with diverse archaea and bacteria in the vent community. Five circular dsDNA uncultivated virus genomes (UViGs) of ~40 kbp length were linked to the Sulfurihydrogenibium metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) by CRISPR spacer matches. Four UViGs contained consistent genome architecture and formed a monophyletic cluster with the recently proposed Pyrovirus genus within the Caudovirales. Sulfurihydrogenibium spp. also contained CRISPR arrays linked to plasmid DNA with genes for a novel type IV filament system and a highly expressed β-barrel porin. A diverse suite of transcribed secretion systems was consistent with direct microscopic analyses, which revealed an extensive extracellular matrix likely critical to community structure and function. We hypothesize these attributes are fundamental to the establishment and survival of microbial communities in highly turbulent, extreme-gradient environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J. McKay
- grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA ,grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA ,grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
| | - Olivia D. Nigro
- grid.256872.c0000 0000 8741 0387Department of Natural Science, Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
| | - Mensur Dlakić
- grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
| | - Karen M. Luttrell
- grid.64337.350000 0001 0662 7451Department of Geology & Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA
| | - Douglas B. Rusch
- grid.411377.70000 0001 0790 959XCenter for Genomics and Bioinformatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
| | - Matthew W. Fields
- grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA ,grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
| | - William P. Inskeep
- grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Department of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA ,grid.41891.350000 0001 2156 6108Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 USA
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3
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Wang S, Jiang L, Hu Q, Cui L, Zhu B, Fu X, Lai Q, Shao Z, Yang S. Characterization of Sulfurimonas hydrogeniphila sp. nov., a Novel Bacterium Predominant in Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents and Comparative Genomic Analyses of the Genus Sulfurimonas. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:626705. [PMID: 33717015 PMCID: PMC7952632 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.626705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bacteria of the genus Sulfurimonas within the class Campylobacteria are predominant in global deep-sea hydrothermal environments and widespread in global oceans. However, only few bacteria of this group have been isolated, and their adaptations for these extreme environments remain poorly understood. Here, we report a novel mesophilic, hydrogen- and sulfur-oxidizing bacterium, strain NW10T, isolated from a deep-sea sulfide chimney of Northwest Indian Ocean.16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain NW10T was most closely related to the vent species Sulfurimonas paralvinellae GO25T with 95.8% similarity, but ANI and DDH values between two strains were only 19.20 and 24.70%, respectively, indicating that strain NW10 represents a novel species. Phenotypic characterization showed strain NW10T is an obligate chemolithoautotroph utilizing thiosulfate, sulfide, elemental sulfur, or molecular hydrogen as energy sources, and molecular oxygen, nitrate, or elemental sulfur as electron acceptors. Moreover, hydrogen supported a better growth than reduced sulfur compounds. During thiosulfate oxidation, the strain can produce extracellular sulfur of elemental α-S8 with an unknown mechanism. Polyphasic taxonomy results support that strain NW10T represents a novel species of the genus Sulfurimonas, and named as Sulfurimonas hydrogeniphila sp. nov. Genome analyses revealed its diverse energy metabolisms driving carbon fixation via rTCA cycling, including pathways of sulfur/hydrogen oxidation, coupled oxygen/sulfur respiration and denitrification. Comparative analysis of the 11 available genomes from Sulfurimonas species revealed that vent bacteria, compared to marine non-vent strains, possess unique genes encoding Type V Sqr, Group II, and Coo hydrogenase, and are selectively enriched in genes related to signal transduction and inorganic ion transporters. These phenotypic and genotypic features of vent Sulfurimonas may explain their thriving in hydrothermal environments and help to understand the ecological role of Sulfurimonas bacteria in hydrothermal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Wang
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Lijing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Qitao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Liang Cui
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
| | - Bitong Zhu
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
| | - Xiaoteng Fu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Qiliang Lai
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, China
| | - Suping Yang
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, China
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4
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Magnuson E, Mykytczuk NC, Pellerin A, Goordial J, Twine SM, Wing B, Foote SJ, Fulton K, Whyte LG. Thiomicrorhabdus
streamers and sulfur cycling in perennial hypersaline cold springs in the Canadian high Arctic. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:3384-3400. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisse Magnuson
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
| | | | - Andre Pellerin
- Centre for Geomicrobiology Aarhus University Aarhus Denmark
| | - Jacqueline Goordial
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
- School of Environmental Sciences University of Guelph Guelph, ON Canada
| | - Susan M. Twine
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Boswell Wing
- Earth and Planetary Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
| | - Simon J. Foote
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Kelly Fulton
- Institute for Biological Sciences National Research Council Ottawa Ontario
| | - Lyle G. Whyte
- Natural Resource Sciences McGill University Montreal QC Canada
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5
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Jiang L, Lyu J, Shao Z. Sulfur Metabolism of Hydrogenovibrio thermophilus Strain S5 and Its Adaptations to Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Environment. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:2513. [PMID: 29312214 PMCID: PMC5733100 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.02513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hydrogenovibrio bacteria are ubiquitous in global deep-sea hydrothermal vents. However, their adaptations enabling survival in these harsh environments are not well understood. In this study, we characterized the physiology and metabolic mechanisms of Hydrogenovibrio thermophilus strain S5, which was first isolated from an active hydrothermal vent chimney on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Physiological characterizations showed that it is a microaerobic chemolithomixotroph that can utilize sulfide, thiosulfate, elemental sulfur, tetrathionate, thiocyanate or hydrogen as energy sources and molecular oxygen as the sole electron acceptor. During thiosulfate oxidation, the strain produced extracellular sulfur globules 0.7–6.0 μm in diameter that were mainly composed of elemental sulfur and carbon. Some organic substrates including amino acids, tryptone, yeast extract, casamino acids, casein, acetate, formate, citrate, propionate, tartrate, succinate, glucose and fructose can also serve as carbon sources, but growth is weaker than under CO2 conditions, indicating that strain S5 prefers to be chemolithoautotrophic. None of the tested organic carbons could function as energy sources. Growth tests under various conditions confirmed its adaption to a mesophilic mixing zone of hydrothermal vents in which vent fluid was mixed with cold seawater, preferring moderate temperatures (optimal 37°C), alkaline pH (optimal pH 8.0), microaerobic conditions (optimal 4% O2), and reduced sulfur compounds (e.g., sulfide, optimal 100 μM). Comparative genomics showed that strain S5 possesses more complex sulfur metabolism systems than other members of genus Hydrogenovibrio. The genes encoding the intracellular sulfur oxidation protein (DsrEF) and assimilatory sulfate reduction were first reported in the genus Hydrogenovibrio. In summary, the versatility in energy and carbon sources, and unique physiological properties of this bacterium have facilitated its adaptation to deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Biological Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Jie Lyu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Biological Resources, Xiamen, China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Collaborative Innovation Center of Marine Biological Resources, Xiamen, China.,Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
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6
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Houghton JL, Foustoukos DI, Flynn TM, Vetriani C, Bradley AS, Fike DA. Thiosulfate oxidation by Thiomicrospira thermophila: metabolic flexibility in response to ambient geochemistry. Environ Microbiol 2016; 18:3057-72. [PMID: 26914243 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies of the stoichiometry of thiosulfate oxidation by colorless sulfur bacteria have failed to demonstrate mass balance of sulfur, indicating that unidentified oxidized products must be present. Here the reaction stoichiometry and kinetics under variable pH conditions during the growth of Thiomicrospira thermophila strain EPR85, isolated from diffuse hydrothermal fluids at the East Pacific Rise, is presented. At pH 8.0, thiosulfate was stoichiometrically converted to sulfate. At lower pH, the products of thiosulfate oxidation were extracellular elemental sulfur and sulfate. We were able to replicate previous experiments and identify the missing sulfur as tetrathionate, consistent with previous reports of the activity of thiosulfate dehydrogenase. Tetrathionate was formed under slightly acidic conditions. Genomic DNA from T. thermophila strain EPR85 contains genes homologous to those in the Sox pathway (soxAXYZBCDL), as well as rhodanese and thiosulfate dehydrogenase. No other sulfur oxidizing bacteria containing sox(CD)2 genes have been reported to produce extracellular elemental sulfur. If the apparent modified Sox pathway we observed in T. thermophila is present in marine Thiobacillus and Thiomicrospira species, production of extracellular elemental sulfur may be biogeochemically important in marine sulfur cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Houghton
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA.
| | - D I Foustoukos
- Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC, 20015, USA
| | - T M Flynn
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, IL, 60439, USA.,Computation Institution, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - C Vetriani
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Institute of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Alexander S Bradley
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
| | - D A Fike
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA
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7
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Gulmann LK, Beaulieu SE, Shank TM, Ding K, Seyfried WE, Sievert SM. Bacterial diversity and successional patterns during biofilm formation on freshly exposed basalt surfaces at diffuse-flow deep-sea vents. Front Microbiol 2015; 6:901. [PMID: 26441852 PMCID: PMC4564720 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.00901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many deep-sea hydrothermal vent systems are regularly impacted by volcanic eruptions, leaving fresh basalt where abundant animal and microbial communities once thrived. After an eruption, microbial biofilms are often the first visible evidence of biotic re-colonization. The present study is the first to investigate microbial colonization of newly exposed basalt surfaces in the context of vent fluid chemistry over an extended period of time (4-293 days) by deploying basalt blocks within an established diffuse-flow vent at the 9°50' N vent field on the East Pacific Rise. Additionally, samples obtained after a recent eruption at the same vent field allowed for comparison between experimental results and those from natural microbial re-colonization. Over 9 months, the community changed from being composed almost exclusively of Epsilonproteobacteria to a more diverse assemblage, corresponding with a potential expansion of metabolic capabilities. The process of biofilm formation appears to generate similar surface-associated communities within and across sites by selecting for a subset of fluid-associated microbes, via species sorting. Furthermore, the high incidence of shared operational taxonomic units over time and across different vent sites suggests that the microbial communities colonizing new surfaces at diffuse-flow vent sites might follow a predictable successional pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara K Gulmann
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA, USA
| | - Stace E Beaulieu
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA, USA
| | - Timothy M Shank
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA, USA
| | - Kang Ding
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, USA
| | - William E Seyfried
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, USA
| | - Stefan M Sievert
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA, USA
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8
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Kinetic enrichment of 34S during proteobacterial thiosulfate oxidation and the conserved role of SoxB in S-S bond breaking. Appl Environ Microbiol 2013; 79:4455-64. [PMID: 23686269 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00956-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During chemolithoautotrophic thiosulfate oxidation, the phylogenetically diverged proteobacteria Paracoccus pantotrophus, Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis, and Thiomicrospira crunogena rendered steady enrichment of (34)S in the end product sulfate, with overall fractionation ranging between -4.6‰ and +5.8‰. The fractionation kinetics of T. crunogena was essentially similar to that of P. pantotrophus, albeit the former had a slightly higher magnitude and rate of (34)S enrichment. In the case of T. kashmirensis, the only significant departure of its fractionation curve from that of P. pantotrophus was observed during the first 36 h of thiosulfate-dependent growth, in the course of which tetrathionate intermediate formation is completed and sulfate production starts. The almost-identical (34)S enrichment rates observed during the peak sulfate-producing stage of all three processes indicated the potential involvement of identical S-S bond-breaking enzymes. Concurrent proteomic analyses detected the hydrolase SoxB (which is known to cleave terminal sulfone groups from SoxYZ-bound cysteine S-thiosulfonates, as well as cysteine S-sulfonates, in P. pantotrophus) in the actively sulfate-producing cells of all three species. The inducible expression of soxB during tetrathionate oxidation, as well as the second leg of thiosulfate oxidation, by T. kashmirensis is significant because the current Sox pathway does not accommodate tetrathionate as one of its substrates. Notably, however, no other Sox protein except SoxB could be detected upon matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry analysis of all such T. kashmirensis proteins as appeared to be thiosulfate inducible in 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Instead, several other redox proteins were found to be at least 2-fold overexpressed during thiosulfate- or tetrathionate-dependent growth, thereby indicating that there is more to tetrathionate oxidation than SoxB alone.
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9
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Brazelton WJ, Baross JA. Metagenomic comparison of two Thiomicrospira lineages inhabiting contrasting deep-sea hydrothermal environments. PLoS One 2010; 5:e13530. [PMID: 20975831 PMCID: PMC2958825 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0013530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The most widespread bacteria in oxic zones of carbonate chimneys at the serpentinite-hosted Lost City hydrothermal field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, belong to the Thiomicrospira group of sulfur-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophs. It is unclear why Thiomicrospira-like organisms thrive in these chimneys considering that Lost City hydrothermal fluids are notably lacking in hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Methodology/Principal Findings Here we describe metagenomic sequences obtained from a Lost City carbonate chimney that are highly similar to the genome of Thiomicrospira crunogena XCL-2, an isolate from a basalt-hosted hydrothermal vent in the Pacific Ocean. Even though T. crunogena and Lost City Thiomicrospira inhabit different types of hydrothermal systems in different oceans, their genomic contents are highly similar. For example, sequences encoding the sulfur oxidation and carbon fixation pathways (including a carbon concentration mechanism) of T. crunogena are also present in the Lost City metagenome. Comparative genomic analyses also revealed substantial genomic changes that must have occurred since the divergence of the two lineages, including large genomic rearrangements, gene fusion events, a prophage insertion, and transposase activity. Conclusions/Significance Our results show significant genomic similarity between Thiomicrospira organisms inhabiting different kinds of hydrothermal systems in different oceans, suggesting that these organisms are widespread and highly adaptable. These data also indicate genomic processes potentially associated with the adaptation of these lineages into strikingly different habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Brazelton
- School of Oceanography and Center for Astrobiology and Early Evolution, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America.
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10
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Ghosh W, Mallick S, DasGupta SK. Origin of the Sox multienzyme complex system in ancient thermophilic bacteria and coevolution of its constituent proteins. Res Microbiol 2009; 160:409-20. [PMID: 19616092 DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2009.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2009] [Revised: 06/05/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The multienzyme complex SoxXABYZ(CD)(2), characteristic of facultatively chemolithotrophic Alphaproteobacteria, oxidizes both sulfone and sulfane sulfur species directly to sulfate, while a truncated SoxXABYZ oxidizes only sulfone sulfur in species of Chromatiaceae and Chlorobi. Here we phylogenetically analyzed SoxXA, SoxYZ and SoxCD sequences, correlated the results with earlier SoxB-based data, and postulated that the system originated in putatively common ancestors of Aquificae and Epsilonproteobacteria, and evolved through extensive horizontal gene transfer, accompanied by gain and/or loss of constituents by different lineages. However, in several Sox systems, particularly those from Alphaproteobacteria (and also Chromatiaceae and Chlorobi), there has been no extra gain or loss of constituents and all their proteins have similar evolutionary paths. This implies that the components of these systems have coevolved parallel to each other without any shuffling with other divergent systems. This, however, holds good only for those Sox systems, which render sulfur oxidation functions equivalent to the typical alphaproteobacterial process. We postulate that coevolution of all the proteins is essential for the typical modular function of Sox. Conversely, mosaic Sox systems (where constituents have disparate phylogenetic paths) are either nonfunctional or with activities deviated from typical systems. Monomeric Sox subunits of the mosaic systems, however, possess almost all the motifs and conserved domains critical for their designated activity and heterodimer formation. So what could be the basis of the functional discrepancies of the mosaic Sox systems? It appears that their discretely evolved heterodimers cannot interact among themselves in the same way as ideally envisaged in the modular Sox system, which in turn, may in some cases lead to novel adventitious reactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wriddhiman Ghosh
- Department of Microbiology, Bose Institute, P-1/12, C. I. T. Scheme VII-M, Kolkata-700 054, India.
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11
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Ghosh W, Dam B. Biochemistry and molecular biology of lithotrophic sulfur oxidation by taxonomically and ecologically diverse bacteria and archaea. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2009; 33:999-1043. [PMID: 19645821 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2009.00187.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 289] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Lithotrophic sulfur oxidation is an ancient metabolic process. Ecologically and taxonomically diverged prokaryotes have differential abilities to utilize different reduced sulfur compounds as lithotrophic substrates. Different phototrophic or chemotrophic species use different enzymes, pathways and mechanisms of electron transport and energy conservation for the oxidation of any given substrate. While the mechanisms of sulfur oxidation in obligately chemolithotrophic bacteria, predominantly belonging to Beta- (e.g. Thiobacillus) and Gammaproteobacteria (e.g. Thiomicrospira), are not well established, the Sox system is the central pathway in the facultative bacteria from Alphaproteobacteria (e.g. Paracoccus). Interestingly, photolithotrophs such as Rhodovulum belonging to Alphaproteobacteria also use the Sox system, whereas those from Chromatiaceae and Chlorobi use a truncated Sox complex alongside reverse-acting sulfate-reducing systems. Certain chemotrophic magnetotactic Alphaproteobacteria allegedly utilize such a combined mechanism. Sulfur-chemolithotrophic metabolism in Archaea, largely restricted to Sulfolobales, is distinct from those in Bacteria. Phylogenetic and biomolecular fossil data suggest that the ubiquity of sox genes could be due to horizontal transfer, and coupled sulfate reduction/sulfide oxidation pathways, originating in planktonic ancestors of Chromatiaceae or Chlorobi, could be ancestral to all sulfur-lithotrophic processes. However, the possibility that chemolithotrophy, originating in deep sea, is the actual ancestral form of sulfur oxidation cannot be ruled out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wriddhiman Ghosh
- Department of Microbiology, University of Burdwan, West Bengal, India.
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Abstract
Phototrophic sulfur bacteria are characterized by oxidizing various inorganic sulfur compounds for use as electron donors in carbon dioxide fixation during anoxygenic photosynthetic growth. These bacteria are divided into the purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) and the green sulfur bacteria (GSB). They utilize various combinations of sulfide, elemental sulfur, and thiosulfate and sometimes also ferrous iron and hydrogen as electron donors. This review focuses on the dissimilatory and assimilatory metabolism of inorganic sulfur compounds in these bacteria and also briefly discusses these metabolisms in other types of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. The biochemistry and genetics of sulfur compound oxidation in PSB and GSB are described in detail. A variety of enzymes catalyzing sulfur oxidation reactions have been isolated from GSB and PSB (especially Allochromatium vinosum, a representative of the Chromatiaceae), and many are well characterized also on a molecular genetic level. Complete genome sequence data are currently available for 10 strains of GSB and for one strain of PSB. We present here a genome-based survey of the distribution and phylogenies of genes involved in oxidation of sulfur compounds in these strains. It is evident from biochemical and genetic analyses that the dissimilatory sulfur metabolism of these organisms is very complex and incompletely understood. This metabolism is modular in the sense that individual steps in the metabolism may be performed by different enzymes in different organisms. Despite the distant evolutionary relationship between GSB and PSB, their photosynthetic nature and their dependency on oxidation of sulfur compounds resulted in similar ecological roles in the sulfur cycle as important anaerobic oxidizers of sulfur compounds.
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Anandham R, Indiragandhi P, Madhaiyan M, Ryu KY, Jee HJ, Sa TM. Chemolithoautotrophic oxidation of thiosulfate and phylogenetic distribution of sulfur oxidation gene (soxB) in rhizobacteria isolated from crop plants. Res Microbiol 2008; 159:579-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.resmic.2008.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2008] [Revised: 08/15/2008] [Accepted: 08/27/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Wirsen CO, Sievert SM, Cavanaugh CM, Molyneaux SJ, Ahmad A, Taylor LT, DeLong EF, Taylor CD. Characterization of an autotrophic sulfide-oxidizing marine Arcobacter sp. that produces filamentous sulfur. Appl Environ Microbiol 2002; 68:316-25. [PMID: 11772641 PMCID: PMC126556 DOI: 10.1128/aem.68.1.316-325.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A coastal marine sulfide-oxidizing autotrophic bacterium produces hydrophilic filamentous sulfur as a novel metabolic end product. Phylogenetic analysis placed the organism in the genus Arcobacter in the epsilon subdivision of the Proteobacteria. This motile vibrioid organism can be considered difficult to grow, preferring to grow under microaerophilic conditions in flowing systems in which a sulfide-oxygen gradient has been established. Purified cell cultures were maintained by using this approach. Essentially all 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride-stained cells in a flowing reactor system hybridized with Arcobacter-specific probes as well as with a probe specific for the sequence obtained from reactor-grown cells. The proposed provisional name for the coastal isolate is "Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus." For cells cultured in a flowing reactor system, the sulfide optimum was higher than and the CO(2) fixation activity was as high as or higher than those reported for other sulfur oxidizers, such as Thiomicrospira spp. Cells associated with filamentous sulfur material demonstrated nitrogen fixation capability. No ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase could be detected on the basis of radioisotopic activity or by Western blotting techniques, suggesting an alternative pathway of CO(2) fixation. The process of microbial filamentous sulfur formation has been documented in a number of marine environments where both sulfide and oxygen are available. Filamentous sulfur formation by "Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus" or similar strains may be an ecologically important process, contributing significantly to primary production in such environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- C O Wirsen
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
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Taylor, Wirsen, Gaill. Rapid microbial production of filamentous sulfur mats at hydrothermal vents. Appl Environ Microbiol 1999; 65:2253-5. [PMID: 10224031 PMCID: PMC91328 DOI: 10.1128/aem.65.5.2253-2255.1999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/1999] [Accepted: 03/01/1999] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During recent oceanographic cruises to Pacific hydrothermal vent sites (9 degrees N and the Guaymas Basin), the rapid microbial formation of filamentous sulfur mats by a new chemoautotrophic, hydrogen sulfide-oxidizing bacterium was documented in both in situ and shipboard experiments. Observations suggest that formation of these sulfur mats may be a factor in the initial colonization of hydrothermal surfaces by macrofaunal Alvinella worms. This novel metabolic capability, previously shown to be carried out by a coastal strain in H2S continuous-flow reactors, may be an important, heretofore unconsidered, source of microbial organic matter production at deep-sea hydrothermal vents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor
- Department of Biology, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543, USA
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Comparison of a new thiomicrospira strain from the mid-atlantic ridge with known hydrothermal vent isolates. Appl Environ Microbiol 1998; 64:4057-9. [PMID: 9758841 PMCID: PMC106600 DOI: 10.1128/aem.64.10.4057-4059.1998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A new autotrophic Thiomicrospira strain, MA-3, was isolated from the surface of a polymetal sulfide deposit collected at a Mid-Atlantic Ridge hydrothermal vent site. The DNA homology among three vent isolates, Thiomicrospira crunogena, Thiomicrospira sp. strain L-12, and Thiomicrospira sp. strain MA-3, was 99.3% or higher, grouping them as the same species, T. crunogena (type strain, ATCC 35932). The fact that T. crunogena and Thiomicrospira sp. strain L-12 were isolated from Pacific vent sites demonstrates a cosmopolitan distribution of this species.
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Elemental sulfur production during mixotrophic growth on hydrogen and thiosulfate of thermophilic hydrogen-oxidizing bacteria. Curr Microbiol 1993. [DOI: 10.1007/bf01568959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Autotrophic growth and inorganic sulphur compound oxidation by Sulfolobus sp. in chemostat culture. Arch Microbiol 1992. [DOI: 10.1007/bf00245284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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