Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is an important potential methane sink in deep-sea cold seeps

Evolutionary ecology of denitrifying methanotrophic NC10 bacteria in the deep-sea biosphere

The NC10 phylum links anaerobic methane oxidation to nitrite denitrification through a unique O2-producing intra-aerobic methanotrophic pathway. Although numerous amplicon-based studies revealed the distribution of this phylum, comprehensive genomic insights and niche characterization in deep-sea environments were still largely unknown. In this study, we extensively surveyed the NC10 bacteria across diverse deep-sea environments, including waters, sediments, cold seeps, biofilms, rocky substrates, and subseafloor aquifers. We then reconstructed and analysed 38 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), and revealed the extensive distribution of NC10 bacteria and their intense selective pressure in these harsh environments. Isotopic analyses combined with gene expression profiling confirmed that active nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-DAMO) occurs within deep-sea sediments. In addition, the identification of the Wood-Ljungdahl (WL) and 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrat (3HB/4HP) pathways in these MAGs suggests their capability for carbon fixation as chemoautotrophs in these deep-sea environments. Indeed, we found that for their survival in the oligotrophic deep-sea biosphere, NC10 bacteria encode two branches of the WL pathway, utilizing acetyl-CoA from the carbonyl branch for citric acid cycle-based energy production and methane from the methyl branch for n-DAMO. The observed low ratios of non-synonymous substitutions to synonymous substitutions (pN/pS) in n-DAMO-related genes across these habitats suggest a pronounced purifying selection that is critical for the survival of NC10 bacteria in oligotrophic deep-sea environments. These findings not only advance our understanding of the evolutionary adaptations of NC10 bacteria but also underscore the intricate coupling between the carbon and nitrogen cycles within deep-sea ecosystems, driven by this bacterial phylum.

Insights into phage-bacteria interaction in cold seep Gigantidas platifrons through metagenomics and transcriptome analyses

Viruses are crucial for regulating deep-sea microbial communities and biogeochemical cycles. However, their roles are still less characterized in deep-sea holobionts. Bathymodioline mussels are endemic species inhabiting cold seeps and harboring endosymbionts in gill epithelial cells for nutrition. This study unveiled a diverse array of viruses in the gill tissues of Gigantidas platifrons mussels and analyzed the viral metagenome and transcriptome from the gill tissues of Gigantidas platifrons mussels collected from a cold seep in the South Sea. The mussel gills contained various viruses including Baculoviridae, Rountreeviridae, Myoviridae and Siphovirdae, but the active viromes were Myoviridae, Siphoviridae, and Podoviridae belonging to the order Caudovirales. The overall viral community structure showed significant variation among environments with different methane concentrations. Transcriptome analysis indicated high expression of viral structural genes, integrase, and restriction endonuclease genes in a high methane concentration environment, suggesting frequent virus infection and replication. Furthermore, two viruses (GP-phage-contig14 and GP-phage-contig72) interacted with Gigantidas platifrons methanotrophic gill symbionts (bathymodiolin mussels host intracellular methanotrophic Gammaproteobacteria in their gills), showing high expression levels, and have huge different expression in different methane concentrations. Additionally, single-stranded DNA viruses may play a potential auxiliary role in the virus-host interaction using indirect bioinformatics methods. Moreover, the Cro and DNA methylase genes had phylogenetic similarity between the virus and Gigantidas platifrons methanotrophic gill symbionts. This study also explored a variety of viruses in the gill tissues of Gigantidas platifrons and revealed that bacteria interacted with the viruses during the symbiosis with Gigantidas platifrons. This study provides fundamental insights into the interplay of microorganisms within Gigantidas platifrons mussels in deep sea.

Nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (N-DAMO) in global aquatic environments: A review

The vast majority of processes in the carbon and nitrogen cycles are driven by microorganisms. The nitrite-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane (N-DAMO) process links carbon and nitrogen cycles, offering a novel approach for the simultaneous reduction of methane emissions and nitrite pollution. However, there is currently no comprehensive summary of the current status of the N-DAMO process in natural aquatic environments. Therefore, our study aims to fill this knowledge gap by conducting a comprehensive review of the global research trends in N-DAMO processes in various aquatic environments (excluding artificial bioreactors). Our review mainly focused on molecular identification, global study sites, and their interactions with other elemental cycling processes. Furthermore, we performed a data integration analysis to unveil the effects of key environmental factors on the abundance of N-DAMO bacteria and the rate of N-DAMO process. By combining the findings from the literature review and data integration analysis, we proposed future research perspectives on N-DAMO processes in global aquatic environments. Our overarching goal is to advance the understanding of the N-DAMO process and its role in synergistically reducing carbon emissions and removing nitrogen. By doing so, we aim to make a significant contribution to the timely achievement of China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality targets.

The diversification and potential function of microbiome in sediment-water interface of methane seeps in South China Sea

The sediment-water interfaces of cold seeps play important roles in nutrient transportation between seafloor and deep-water column. Microorganisms are the key actors of biogeochemical processes in this interface. However, the knowledge of the microbiome in this interface are limited. Here we studied the microbial diversity and potential metabolic functions by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing at sediment-water interface of two active cold seeps in the northern slope of South China Sea, Lingshui and Site F cold seeps. The microbial diversity and potential functions in the two cold seeps are obviously different. The microbial diversity of Lingshui interface areas, is found to be relatively low. Microbes associated with methane consumption are enriched, possibly due to the large and continuous eruptions of methane fluids. Methane consumption is mainly mediated by aerobic oxidation and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO). The microbial diversity in Site F is higher than Lingshui. Fluids from seepage of Site F are mitigated by methanotrophic bacteria at the cyclical oxic-hypoxic fluctuating interface where intense redox cycling of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds occurs. The primary modes of microbial methane consumption are aerobic methane oxidation, along with DAMO, sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (SAMO). To sum up, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) may be underestimated in cold seep interface microenvironments. Our findings highlight the significance of AOM and interdependence between microorganisms and their environments in the interface microenvironments, providing insights into the biogeochemical processes that govern these unique ecological systems.

Distinct diversity patterns and assembly mechanisms of prokaryotic microbial sub-community in the water column of deep-sea cold seeps

Methane leakage from deep-sea cold seeps has a major impact on marine ecosystems. Microbes sequester methane in the water column of cold seeps and can be divided into abundant and rare groups. Both abundant and rare groups play an important role in cold seep ecosystems, and the environmental heterogeneity in cold seeps may enhance conversion between taxa with different abundances. Yet, the environmental stratification and assembly mechanisms of these microbial sub-communities remain unclear. We investigated the diversities and assembly mechanisms in microbial sub-communities with distinct abundance in the deep-sea cold seep water column, from 400 m to 1400 m. We found that bacterial β-diversity, as measured by Sørensen dissimilarities, exhibited a significant species turnover pattern that was influenced by several environmental factors including depth, temperature, SiO32-, and salinity. In contrast, archaeal β-diversity showed a relatively high percentage of nestedness pattern, which was driven by the levels of soluble reactive phosphate and SiO32-. During the abundance dependency test, abundant taxa of both bacteria and archaea showed a significant species turnover, while the rare taxa possessed a higher percentage of nestedness. Stochastic processes were prominent in shaping the prokaryotic community, but deterministic processes were more pronounced for the abundant taxa than rare ones. Furthermore, the metagenomics results revealed that the abundances of methane oxidation, sulfur oxidation, and nitrogen fixation-related genes and related microbial groups were significantly higher in the bottom water. Our results implied that the carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles were potentially strongly coupled in the bottom water. Overall, the results obtained in this study highlight taxonomic and abundance-dependent microbial community diversity patterns and assembly mechanisms in the water column of cold seeps, which will help understand the impacts of fluid seepage from the sea floor on the microbial community in the water column and further provide guidance for the management of cold seep ecosystem under future environmental pressures.

Phylogenetic diversity of functional genes in deep-sea cold seeps: a novel perspective on metagenomics

BACKGROUND

Leakages of cold, methane-rich fluids from subsurface reservoirs to the sea floor are termed cold seeps. Recent exploration of the deep sea has shed new light on the microbial communities in cold seeps. However, conventional metagenomic methods largely rely on reference databases and neglect the phylogeny of functional genes.

RESULTS

In this study, we developed the REMIRGE program to retrieve the full-length functional genes from shotgun metagenomic reads and fully explored the phylogenetic diversity in cold seep sediments. The abundance and diversity of functional genes involved in the methane, sulfur, and nitrogen cycles differed in the non-seep site and five cold seep sites. In one Haima cold seep site, the divergence of functional groups was observed at the centimeter scale of sediment depths, with the surface layer potentially acting as a reservoir of microbial species and functions. Additionally, positive correlations were found between specific gene sequence clusters of relevant genes, indicating coupling occurred within specific functional groups.

CONCLUSION

REMIRGE revealed divergent phylogenetic diversity of functional groups and functional pathway preferences in a deep-sea cold seep at finer scales, which could not be detected by conventional methods. Our work highlights that phylogenetic information is conducive to more comprehensive functional profiles, and REMIRGE has the potential to uncover more new insights from shotgun metagenomic data. Video Abstract.

Active pathways of anaerobic methane oxidization in deep-sea cold seeps of the South China Sea

IMPORTANCE

Cold seeps occur in continental margins worldwide and are deep-sea oases. Anaerobic oxidation of methane is an important microbial process in the cold seeps and plays an important role in regulating methane content. This study elucidates the diversity and potential activities of major microbial groups in dependent anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation processes and provides direct evidence for the occurrence of nitrate-/nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (Nr-/N-DAMO) as a previously overlooked microbial methane sink in the hydrate-bearing sediments of the South China Sea. This study provides direct evidence for occurrence of Nr-/N-DAMO as an important methane sink in the deep-sea cold seeps.

The Phylogeny, Metabolic Potentials, and Environmental Adaptation of an Anaerobe, Abyssisolibacter sp. M8S5, Isolated from Cold Seep Sediments of the South China Sea

Bacillota are widely distributed in various environments, owing to their versatile metabolic capabilities and remarkable adaptation strategies. Recent studies reported that Bacillota species were highly enriched in cold seep sediments, but their metabolic capabilities, ecological functions, and adaption mechanisms in the cold seep habitats remained obscure. In this study, we conducted a systematic analysis of the complete genome of a novel Bacillota bacterium strain M8S5, which we isolated from cold seep sediments of the South China Sea at a depth of 1151 m. Phylogenetically, strain M8S5 was affiliated with the genus Abyssisolibacter within the phylum Bacillota. Metabolically, M8S5 is predicted to utilize various carbon and nitrogen sources, including chitin, cellulose, peptide/oligopeptide, amino acids, ethanolamine, and spermidine/putrescine. The pathways of histidine and proline biosynthesis were largely incomplete in strain M8S5, implying that its survival strictly depends on histidine- and proline-related organic matter enriched in the cold seep ecosystems. On the other hand, strain M8S5 contained the genes encoding a variety of extracellular peptidases, e.g., the S8, S11, and C25 families, suggesting its capabilities for extracellular protein degradation. Moreover, we identified a series of anaerobic respiratory genes, such as glycine reductase genes, in strain M8S5, which may allow it to survive in the anaerobic sediments of cold seep environments. Many genes associated with osmoprotectants (e.g., glycine betaine, proline, and trehalose), transporters, molecular chaperones, and reactive oxygen species-scavenging proteins as well as spore formation may contribute to its high-pressure and low-temperature adaptations. These findings regarding the versatile metabolic potentials and multiple adaptation strategies of strain M8S5 will expand our understanding of the Bacillota species in cold seep sediments and their potential roles in the biogeochemical cycling of deep marine ecosystems.

Salinity effect on an anaerobic methane- and ammonium-oxidising consortium: Shifts in activity, morphology, osmoregulation and syntrophic relationship

Nitrate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (AOM) is a microbial process of both ecological significance for global methane mitigation and application potential for wastewater treatment. It is mediated by organisms belonging to the archaeal family 'Candidatus Methanoperedenaceae', which have so far mainly been found in freshwater environments. Their potential distribution in saline environments and their physiological responses to salinity variation were still poorly understood. In this study, the responses of the freshwater 'Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens'-dominated consortium to different salinities were investigated using short- and long-term setups. Short-term exposure to salt stress significantly affected nitrate reduction and methane oxidation activities over the tested concentration range of 15-200‰ NaCl, and 'Ca. M. nitroreducens' showed the higher tolerance to high salinity stress than its partner of anammox bacteria. At high salinity concentration, near marine conditions of 37‰, the target organism 'Ca. M. nitroreducens' showed stabilized nitrate reduction activity of 208.5 µmol day-1 gCDW-1 in long-term bioreactors over 300 days, in comparison to 362.9 and 334.3 µmol day-1 gCDW-1 under low-salinity conditions (1.7‰ NaCl) and control conditions (∼15‰ NaCl). Different partners of 'Ca.  M. nitroreducens' evolved in the consortia with three different salinity conditions, suggesting the different syntrophic mechanisms shaped by changes in salinity. A new syntrophic relationship between 'Ca. M. nitroreducens' and Fimicutes and/or Chloroflexi denitrifying populations was identified under the marine salinity condition. Metaproteomic analysis shows that the salinity changes lead to higher expression of response regulators and selective ion (Na+/H+) channeling proteins that can regulate the osmotic pressure between the cell and its environment. The reverse methanogenesis pathway was, however, not impacted. The finding of this study has important implications for the ecological distribution of the nitrate-dependent AOM process in marine environments and the potential of this biotechnological process for the treatment of high-salinity industrial wastewater.

Metagenome-based analysis of carbon-fixing microorganisms and their carbon-fixing pathways in deep-sea sediments of the southwestern Indian Ocean

Carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the dark ocean makes a large contribution to oceanic primary production and the global carbon cycle. In contrast to the Calvin cycle-dominated carbon-fixing pathway in the marine euphotic zone, carbon-fixing pathways and their hosts in deep-sea areas are diverse. In this study, four deep-sea sediment samples close to hydrothermal vents in the southwestern Indian Ocean were collected and processed using metagenomic analysis to investigate carbon fixation potential. Functional annotations revealed that all six carbon-fixing pathways had genes to varied degrees present in the samples. The reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle and Calvin cycle genes occurred in all samples, in contrast to the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway, which previous studies found mainly in the hydrothermal area. The annotations also elucidated the chemoautotrophic microbial members associated with the six carbon-fixing pathways, and the majority of them containing key carbon fixation genes belonged to the phyla Pseudomonadota and Desulfobacterota. The binned metagenome-assembled genomes revealed that key genes for the Calvin cycle and the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle were also found in the order Rhodothermales and the family Hyphomicrobiaceae. By identifying the carbon metabolic pathways and microbial populations in the hydrothermal fields of the southwest Indian Ocean, our study sheds light on complex biogeochemical processes in deep-sea environments and lays the foundation for further in-depth investigations of carbon fixation processes in deep-sea ecosystems.

Revealing the response of microbial communities to polyethylene micro(nano)plastics exposure in cold seep sediment

To date, multiple studies have shown that the accumulation of microplastics (MPs)/nanoplastics (NPs) in the environment may lead to various problems. However, the effects of MPs/NPs on microbial communities and biogeochemical processes, particularly methane metabolism in cold seep sediments, have not been well elucidated. In this study, an indoor microcosm experiment for a period of 120 days exposure of MPs/NPs was conducted. The results showed that MPs/NPs addition did not significantly influence bacterial and archaeal richness in comparison with the control (p > 0.05), whereas higher levels of NPs (1 %, w/w) had a significant adverse effect on bacterial diversity (p < 0.05). Moreover, the bacterial community was more sensitive to the addition of MPs/NPs than the archaea, and Epsilonbacteraeota replaced Proteobacteria as the dominant phylum in the MPs/NPs treatments (except 0.2 % NPs). With respect to the co-occurrence relationships, network analysis showed that the presence of NPs, in comparison with MPs, reduced microbial network complexity. Finally, the presence of MPs/NPs decreased the abundance of mcrA, while promoting the abundance of pmoA. This study will help elucidate the responses of microbial communities to MPs/NPs and evaluate their effects on methane metabolism in cold seep ecosystems.

Biogeochemical Activity of Methane-Related Microbial Communities in Bottom Sediments of Cold Seeps of the Laptev Sea

Bottom sediments at methane discharge sites of the Laptev Sea shelf were investigated. The rates of microbial methanogenesis and methane oxidation were measured, and the communities responsible for these processes were analyzed. Methane content in the sediments varied from 0.9 to 37 µmol CH₄ dm^-3. Methane carbon isotopic composition (δ¹³C-CH₄) varied from -98.9 to -77.6‱, indicating its biogenic origin. The rates of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis were low (0.4-5.0 nmol dm^-3 day^-1). Methane oxidation rates varied from 0.4 to 1.2 µmol dm^-3 day^-1 at the seep stations. Four lineages of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) (1, 2a-2b, 2c, and 3) were found in the deeper sediments at the seep stations along with sulfate-reducing Desulfobacteriota. The ANME-2a-2b clade was predominant among ANME. Aerobic ammonium-oxidizing Crenarchaeota (family Nitrosopumilaceae) predominated in the upper sediments along with heterotrophic Actinobacteriota and Bacteroidota, and mehtanotrophs of the classes Alphaproteobacteria (Methyloceanibacter) and Gammaproteobacteria (families Methylophilaceae and Methylomonadaceae). Members of the genera Sulfurovum and Sulfurimonas occurred in the sediments of the seep stations. Mehtanotrophs of the classes Alphaproteobacteria (Methyloceanibacter) and Gammaproteobacteria (families Methylophilaceae and Methylomonadaceae) occurred in the sediments of all stations. The microbial community composition was similar to that of methane seep sediments from geographically remote areas of the global ocean.

Interactions among deep-sea mussels and their epibiotic and endosymbiotic chemoautotrophic bacteria: Insights from multi-omics analysis

Endosymbiosis with Gammaproteobacteria is fundamental for the success of bathymodioline mussels in deep-sea chemosynthesis-based ecosystems. However, the recent discovery of Campylobacteria on the gill surfaces of these mussels suggests that these host-bacterial relationships may be more complex than previously thought. Using the cold-seep mussel ( Gigantidas haimaensis) as a model, we explored this host-bacterial system by assembling the host transcriptome and genomes of its epibiotic Campylobacteria and endosymbiotic Gammaproteobacteria and quantifying their gene and protein expression levels. We found that the epibiont applies a sulfur oxidizing (SOX) multienzyme complex with the acquisition of soxB from Gammaproteobacteria for energy production and switched from a reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle to a Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle for carbon assimilation. The host provides metabolic intermediates, inorganic carbon, and thiosulfate to satisfy the materials and energy requirements of the epibiont, but whether the epibiont benefits the host is unclear. The endosymbiont adopts methane oxidation and the ribulose monophosphate pathway (RuMP) for energy production, providing the major source of energy for itself and the host. The host obtains most of its nutrients, such as lysine, glutamine, valine, isoleucine, leucine, histidine, and folate, from the endosymbiont. In addition, host pattern recognition receptors, including toll-like receptors, peptidoglycan recognition proteins, and C-type lectins, may participate in bacterial infection, maintenance, and population regulation. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex host-bacterial relationships that have enabled mussels and bacteria to thrive in deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems.

Biogeographic distributions of microbial communities associated with anaerobic methane oxidation in the surface sediments of deep-sea cold seeps in the South China Sea

Cold seeps are oasis for the microbes in the deep-sea ecosystems, and various cold seeps are located along the northern slope of the South China Sea (SCS). However, by far most microbial ecological studies were limited to specific cold seep in the SCS, and lack of comparison between different regions. Here, the surface sediments (0-4 cm) from the Site F/Haima cold seeps and the Xisha trough in the SCS were used to elucidate the biogeography of microbial communities, with particular interest in the typical functional groups involved in the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) process. Distinct microbial clusters corresponding to the three sampling regions were formed, and significantly higher gene abundance of functional groups were present in the cold seeps than the trough. This biogeographical distribution could be explained by the geochemical characteristics of sediments, such as total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate (NO₃ ^-), total sulfur (TS) and carbon to nitrogen ratios (C/N). Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that mcrA and pmoA genotypes were closely affiliated with those from wetland and mangroves, where denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO) process frequently occurred; and highly diversified dsrB genotypes were revealed as well. In addition, significantly higher relative abundance of NC10 group was found in the Xisha trough, suggesting that nitrite-dependent DAMO (N-DAMO) process was more important in the hydrate-bearing trough, although its potential ecological contribution to AOM deserves further investigation. Our study also further demonstrated the necessity of combining functional genes and 16S rRNA gene to obtain a comprehensive picture of the population shifts of natural microbial communities among different oceanic regions.

Mercury and other trace elements distribution and profiling of microbial community in the surface sediments of East Siberian Sea

In this study, total mercury (THg), methylmercury (MeHg), various trace elements, and microbial communities were measured in surface sediments of the East Siberian Sea (ESS). The results showed that the average values of THg and MeHg were 58.8 ± 15.21 μg/kg and 0.50 ± 0.22 μg/kg, respectively. The notable levels of trace elements present in both surface sediment and porewater were Al, Fe, and Mn. The enrichment factor and geoaccumulation index analyses found that both natural phenomena and anthropogenic activities contributed to elevated concentrations of metals in the ESS. The redox proxy metals, pH, and SO₄^2- were the major factors influencing the THg and MeHg distributions. Microbial profiles were substantially affected by metals and other abiotic factors. Proteobacteria and Thaumarchaeota were the most abundant phyla. Overall, the findings presented here facilitate the understanding of the current status of metal contamination, its influencing factors, and metal-microbiota-interactions in ESS.

Distribution pattern of N-damo bacteria along an anthropogenic nitrogen input gradient from the coastal mangrove wetland to the South China sea sediments

Microbial nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (n-damo) process is important for mitigating methane emission and anthropogenic nitrogen inputs in the marine environment. However, the distribution pattern of n-damo bacteria along an anthropogenic N-input gradient from the coastal wetland to the pristine South China Sea is poorly understood. This study investigated the diversity and abundance of n-damo bacteria in samples collected along a N-input gradient from Mai Po (MP) mangrove wetland sediments of the Pearl River Estuary (PRE) to the deep ocean sediments of the South China Sea (SCS). Retrieved 16S rDNA sequences showed a shift of n-damo community composition of complex structures with both freshwater and marine n-damo lineages in MP intertidal sediments to marine dominated characteristic in SCS sediments. The observed variation of Shannon and Chao1 indexes of n-damo bacteria shared a similar trend of a decrease at first followed by an increase along the targeting gradient with previously investigated methanogens, anaerobic methanotrophic archaea, ammonia-oxidizing archaea and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, but had a reverse pattern with anammox bacteria. The community structure of pmoA gene sequences contained freshwater lineages only in SCS continental shelf sediments closer to the PRE, and turned to group with other marine samples in deeper and pristine sediments. Results suggested that n-damo bacteria might be a major contributor to anaerobic denitrification in the SCS sediments because their abundances were much higher than previously studied anammox bacteria in the same sample set. The distribution pattern of n-damo bacterial diversity, richness and abundance along the anthropogenic N-input gradient implies that they could be used as a bio-indicator for monitoring the anthropogenic/terrestrial inputs in marine environments.

Degradation potential of alkanes by diverse oil-degrading bacteria from deep-sea sediments of Haima cold seep areas, South China Sea

Marine oil spills are a significant concern worldwide, destroying the ecological environment and threatening the survival of marine life. Various oil-degrading bacteria have been widely reported in marine environments in response to marine oil pollution. However, little information is known about culturable oil-degrading bacteria in cold seep of the deep-sea environments, which are rich in hydrocarbons. This study enriched five oil-degrading consortia from sediments collected from the Haima cold seep areas of the South China Sea. Parvibaculum, Erythrobacter, Acinetobacter, Alcanivorax, Pseudomonas, Marinobacter, Halomonas, and Idiomarina were the dominant genera. Further results of bacterial growth and degradation ability tests indicated seven efficient alkane-degrading bacteria belonging to Acinetobacter, Alcanivorax, Kangiella, Limimaricola, Marinobacter, Flavobacterium, and Paracoccus, whose degradation rates were higher in crude oil (70.3–78.0%) than that in diesel oil (62.7–66.3%). From the view of carbon chain length, alkane degradation rates were medium chains > long chains > short chains. In addition, Kangiella aquimarina F7, Acinetobacter venetianus F1, Limimaricola variabilis F8, Marinobacter nauticus J5, Flavobacterium sediminis N3, and Paracoccus sediminilitoris N6 were first identified as oil-degrading bacteria from deep-sea environments. This study will provide insight into the bacterial community structures and oil-degrading bacterial diversity in the Haima cold seep areas, South China Sea, and offer bacterial resources to oil bioremediation applications.

Phylogenetically and catabolically diverse diazotrophs reside in deep-sea cold seep sediments

Microbially mediated nitrogen cycling in carbon-dominated cold seep environments remains poorly understood. So far anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME-2) and their sulfate-reducing bacterial partners (SEEP-SRB1 clade) have been identified as diazotrophs in deep sea cold seep sediments. However, it is unclear whether other microbial groups can perform nitrogen fixation in such ecosystems. To fill this gap, we analyzed 61 metagenomes, 1428 metagenome-assembled genomes, and six metatranscriptomes derived from 11 globally distributed cold seeps. These sediments contain phylogenetically diverse nitrogenase genes corresponding to an expanded diversity of diazotrophic lineages. Diverse catabolic pathways were predicted to provide ATP for nitrogen fixation, suggesting diazotrophy in cold seeps is not necessarily associated with sulfate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane. Nitrogen fixation genes among various diazotrophic groups in cold seeps were inferred to be genetically mobile and subject to purifying selection. Our findings extend the capacity for diazotrophy to five candidate phyla (Altarchaeia, Omnitrophota, FCPU426, Caldatribacteriota and UBA6262), and suggest that cold seep diazotrophs might contribute substantially to the global nitrogen balance.

Microbial nitrogen fixation could be important in the deep sea. Here the authors investigate metagenomes and metatranscriptomes of diazotrophs from deep sea cold seep sediments, reveal greater phylogenetic and functional diversity than hitherto known.

Is the role of aerobic methanotrophs underestimated in methane oxidation under hypoxic conditions?

Microbial methane oxidation is the major biological methane (CH₄) sink in the carbon cycle. Methanotrophs can use various electron acceptors in addition to oxygen; understanding the role and contribution of methanotrophs is thus an important topic. However, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) mediated by methanotrophs is poorly explored and understood. This article summarizes the role aerobic methanotrophic bacteria play in AOM. Though AOM was originally considered to be mediated by anaerobic methanotrophic archaea, intra-aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria (Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera) appear to be involved in nitrite-dependent AOM. In addition, aerobic methanotrophs of the Methylomonadaceae and Methylocystaceae, are more versatile than previously assumed and can also be involved in nitrate/nitrite- or mineral oxide-dependent AOM under oxygen-limitation. Furthermore, the simultaneous reduction of nitrous oxide and oxidation of CH₄ may be another new metabolic trait of aerobic methanotrophs. We discuss the potential metabolic pathways of CH₄ oxidation under hypoxic conditions. It is of great ecological importance not only for the quantification of CH₄ oxidation and emissions, but also for the definition of a new function of aerobic methanotrophs in anaerobic/hypoxic environments.

Understanding the Variation of Bacteria in Response to Summertime Oxygen Depletion in Water Column of Bohai Sea

Aiming to reveal the variation in bacteria community under oxygen depletion formed every summer in water column of central Bohai Sea, a time-scenario sampling from June to August in 2018 at a 20-day interval along one inshore-offshore transect was settled. Water samples were collected at the surface, middle, and bottom layer and then analyzed by high-throughput sequencing targeting both 16S rRNA and nosZ genes. Compared to the surface and middle water, oxygen depletion occurred at bottom layer in August. In top two layers, Cyanobacteria dominated the bacterial community, whereas heterotrophic bacteria became dominant in bottom water of Bohai Sea. Based on the time scenario, distinct community separation was observed before (June and July) and after (August) oxygen depletion (p = 0.003). Vertically, strict stratification of nosZ gene was stably formed along 3 sampling layers. As a response to oxygen depletion, the diversity indices of both total bacteria (16S rRNA) and nosZ gene-encoded denitrification bacteria all increased, which indicated the intense potential of nitrogen lose when oxygen depleted. Dissolved oxygen (DO) was the key impacting factor on the community composition of total bacteria in June, whereas nutrients together with DO play the important roles in August for both total and denitrifying bacteria. The biotic impact was revealed further by strong correlations which showed between Cyanobacteria and heterotrophic bacteria in June from co-occurrence network analysis, which became weak in August when DO was depleted. This study discovered the variation in bacteria community in oxygen-depleted water with further effort to understand the potential role of denitrifying bacteria under oxygen depletion in Bohai Sea for the first time, which provided insights into the microbial response to the world-wide expanding oxygen depletion and their contributions in the ocean nitrogen cycling.

Insights into carbon-fixation pathways through metagonomics in the sediments of deep-sea cold seeps

Carbon fixation by chemoautotrophic microorganisms in the dark ocean has a major impact on global carbon cycling and ecological relationships in the ocean's interior. At present, six pathways of autotrophic carbon fixation have been found: the Calvin cycle, the reductive Acetyl-CoA or Wood-Ljungdahl pathway (rAcCoA), the reductive tricarboxylic acid cycle (rTCA), the 3-hydroxypropionate bicycle (3HP), the 3-hydroxypropionate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle (3HP/4HB), and the dicarboxylate/4-hydroxybutyrate cycle (DC/4HB). Although our knowledge about carbon fixation pathways in the ocean has increased significantly, carbon fixation pathways in the cold seeps are still unknown. In this study, we collected sediment samples from two cold seeps and one trough in the south China sea (SCS), and investigated with metagenomic and metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs). We found that six autotrophic carbon fixation pathways present in the cold seeps and trough with rTCA cycle was the most common pathway, whose genes were particularly high in the cold seeps and increased with sediment depths; the rAcCoA cycle mainly occurred in the cold seep regions, and the abundance of module genes increased with sediment depths. We also elucidated members of chemoautotrophic microorganisms involved in these six carbon-fixation pathways. The rAcCoA, rTCA and DC/4-HB cycles required significantly less energy probably play an important role in the deep-sea environments, especially in the cold seeps. This study provided metabolic insights into the carbon fixation pathways in the cold seeps, and laid the foundation for future detailed study on processes and rates of carbon fixation in the deep-sea ecosystems.

Bacteria and Archaea Synergistically Convert Glycine Betaine to Biogenic Methane in the Formosa Cold Seep of the South China Sea

Cold seeps are globally widespread seafloor ecosystems that feature abundant methane production and flourishing chemotrophic benthic communities. Chemical evidence indicates that cold seep methane is largely biogenic; however, the primary methane-producing organisms and associated pathways involved in methanogenesis remain elusive. This work detected methane production when glycine betaine (GBT) or trimethylamine (TMA) was added to the sediment microcosms of the Formosa cold seep, South China Sea. The methane production was suppressed by antibiotic inhibition of bacteria, while GBT was accumulated. This suggests that the widely used osmoprotectant GBT could be converted to cold seep biogenic methane via the synergistic activity of bacteria and methanogenic archaea because archaea are not sensitive to antibiotics and no bacteria are known to produce ample methane (mM). 16S rRNA gene diversity analyses revealed that the predominant bacterial and archaeal genera in the GBT-amended methanogenic microcosms included Oceanirhabdus and Methanococcoides. Moreover, metagenomic analyses detected the presence of grdH and mtgB genes that are involved in GBT reduction and demethylation, respectively. Two novel species were obtained, including bacterium Oceanirhabdus seepicola, which reduces GBT to TMA, and a methanogenic archaeon, Methanococcoides seepicolus, which produces methane from TMA and GBT. The two strains reconstituted coculture efficiently converted GBT to methane at 18°C; however, at 4°C addition of dimethylglycine (DMG), the GBT demethylation product, was necessary. Therefore, this work demonstrated that GBT is the precursor not only of the biogenic methane but also of the cryoprotectant DMG to the microorganisms at the Formosa cold seep.

IMPORTANCE Numerous cold seeps have been found in global continental margins where methane is enriched in pore waters that are forced upward from sediments. Therefore, high concerns have been focused on the methane-producing organisms and the metabolic pathways in these environments because methane is a potent greenhouse gas. In this study, GBT was identified as the main precursor for methane in the Formosa cold seep of the South China Sea. Further, synergism of bacteria and methanogenic archaea was identified in GBT conversion to methane via the GBT reduction pathway, while methanogen-mediated GBT demethylation to methane was also observed. In addition, GBT-demethylated product dimethyl glycine acted as a cryoprotectant that promoted the cold seep microorganisms at cold temperatures. GBT is an osmoprotectant that is widely used by marine organisms, and therefore, the GBT-derived methanogenic pathway reported here could be widely distributed among global cold seep environments.

Methanotrophs: Discoveries, Environmental Relevance, and a Perspective on Current and Future Applications

Methane is the final product of the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. The conversion of organic matter to methane (methanogenesis) as a mechanism for energy conservation is exclusively attributed to the archaeal domain. Methane is oxidized by methanotrophic microorganisms using oxygen or alternative terminal electron acceptors. Aerobic methanotrophic bacteria belong to the phyla Proteobacteria and Verrucomicrobia, while anaerobic methane oxidation is also mediated by more recently discovered anaerobic methanotrophs with representatives in both the bacteria and the archaea domains. The anaerobic oxidation of methane is coupled to the reduction of nitrate, nitrite, iron, manganese, sulfate, and organic electron acceptors (e.g., humic substances) as terminal electron acceptors. This review highlights the relevance of methanotrophy in natural and anthropogenically influenced ecosystems, emphasizing the environmental conditions, distribution, function, co-existence, interactions, and the availability of electron acceptors that likely play a key role in regulating their function. A systematic overview of key aspects of ecology, physiology, metabolism, and genomics is crucial to understand the contribution of methanotrophs in the mitigation of methane efflux to the atmosphere. We give significance to the processes under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions for both aerobic and anaerobic methane oxidizers. In the context of anthropogenically influenced ecosystems, we emphasize the current and potential future applications of methanotrophs from two different angles, namely methane mitigation in wastewater treatment through the application of anaerobic methanotrophs, and the biotechnological applications of aerobic methanotrophs in resource recovery from methane waste streams. Finally, we identify knowledge gaps that may lead to opportunities to harness further the biotechnological benefits of methanotrophs in methane mitigation and for the production of valuable bioproducts enabling a bio-based and circular economy.