1
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Wu K, Zhou L, Tahon G, Liu L, Li J, Zhang J, Zheng F, Deng C, Han W, Bai L, Fu L, Dong X, Zhang C, Ettema TJG, Sousa DZ, Cheng L. Isolation of a methyl-reducing methanogen outside the Euryarchaeota. Nature 2024; 632:1124-1130. [PMID: 39048829 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07728-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Methanogenic archaea are main contributors to methane emissions, and have a crucial role in carbon cycling and global warming. Until recently, methanogens were confined to Euryarchaeota, but metagenomic studies revealed the presence of genes encoding the methyl coenzyme M reductase complex in other archaeal clades1-4, thereby opening up the premise that methanogenesis is taxonomically more widespread. Nevertheless, laboratory cultivation of these non-euryarchaeal methanogens was lacking to corroborate their potential methanogenic ability and physiology. Here we report the isolation of a thermophilic archaeon LWZ-6 from an oil field. This archaeon belongs to the class Methanosuratincolia (originally affiliated with 'Candidatus Verstraetearchaeota') in the phylum Thermoproteota. Methanosuratincola petrocarbonis LWZ-6 is a strict hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogen. Although previous metagenomic studies speculated on the fermentative potential of Methanosuratincolia members, strain LWZ-6 does not ferment sugars, peptides or amino acids. Its energy metabolism is linked only to methanogenesis, with methanol and monomethylamine as electron acceptors and hydrogen as an electron donor. Comparative (meta)genome analysis confirmed that hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis is a widespread trait among Methanosuratincolia. Our findings confirm that the diversity of methanogens expands beyond the classical Euryarchaeota and imply the importance of hydrogen-dependent methylotrophic methanogenesis in global methane emissions and carbon cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kejia Wu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Lei Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Guillaume Tahon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Laiyan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiang Li
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianchao Zhang
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Fengfeng Zheng
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Geo-Omics Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chengpeng Deng
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Wenhao Han
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Liping Bai
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Lin Fu
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiuzhu Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chuanlun Zhang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Geo-Omics Research, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Thijs J G Ettema
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Diana Z Sousa
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Lei Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Development and Application of Rural Renewable Energy, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Chengdu, China.
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2
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Dalcin Martins P, de Monlevad JPC, Echeveste Medrano MJ, Lenstra WK, Wallenius AJ, Hermans M, Slomp CP, Welte CU, Jetten MSM, van Helmond NAGM. Sulfide Toxicity as Key Control on Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane in Eutrophic Coastal Sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:11421-11435. [PMID: 38888209 PMCID: PMC11223495 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c10418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
Coastal zones account for 75% of marine methane emissions, despite covering only 15% of the ocean surface area. In these ecosystems, the tight balance between methane production and oxidation in sediments prevents most methane from escaping into seawater. However, anthropogenic activities could disrupt this balance, leading to an increased methane escape from coastal sediments. To quantify and unravel potential mechanisms underlying this disruption, we used a suite of biogeochemical and microbiological analyses to investigate the impact of anthropogenically induced redox shifts on methane cycling in sediments from three sites with contrasting bottom water redox conditions (oxic-hypoxic-euxinic) in the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago. Our results indicate that the methane production potential increased under hypoxia and euxinia, while anaerobic oxidation of methane was disrupted under euxinia. Experimental, genomic, and biogeochemical data suggest that the virtual disappearance of methane-oxidizing archaea at the euxinic site occurred due to sulfide toxicity. This could explain a near 7-fold increase in the extent of escape of benthic methane at the euxinic site relative to the hypoxic one. In conclusion, these insights reveal how the development of euxinia could disrupt the coastal methane biofilter, potentially leading to increased methane emissions from coastal zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Dalcin Martins
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
- Department
of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of
Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1098 XH, The Netherlands
| | - João P.
R. C. de Monlevad
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Maider J. Echeveste Medrano
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Wytze Klaas Lenstra
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
- Department
of Earth Sciences—Geochemistry, Utrecht
University, Utrecht 3584 CB, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Julia Wallenius
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn Hermans
- Department
of Earth Sciences—Geochemistry, Utrecht
University, Utrecht 3584 CB, The Netherlands
- Baltic
Sea Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm 114 18, Sweden
| | - Caroline P. Slomp
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
- Department
of Earth Sciences—Geochemistry, Utrecht
University, Utrecht 3584 CB, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelia Ulrike Welte
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Mike S. M. Jetten
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
| | - Niels A. G. M. van Helmond
- Department
of Microbiology, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental
Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen 6525 AJ, The Netherlands
- Department
of Earth Sciences—Geochemistry, Utrecht
University, Utrecht 3584 CB, The Netherlands
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3
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Euler S, Jeffrey LC, Maher DT, Johnston SG, Sugimoto R, Tait DR. Microbiome mediating methane and nitrogen transformations in a subterranean estuary. Environ Microbiol 2024; 26:e16558. [PMID: 38115223 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Subterranean estuaries (STEs) are important coastal biogeochemical reactors facilitating unique niches for microbial communities. A common approach in determining STE greenhouse gas and nutrient fluxes is to use terrestrial endmembers, not accounting for microbially mediated transformations throughout the STE. As such, the microbial ecology and spatial distribution of specialists that cycle compounds in STEs remain largely underexplored. In this study, we applied 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing with paired biogeochemical characterisations to spatially evaluate microbial communities transforming greenhouse gases and nutrients in an STE. We show that methanogens are most prevalent at the terrestrial end (up to 2.81% relative abundance) concomitant to the highest porewater methane, carbon dioxide and dissolved organic carbon concentrations (0.41 ± 0.02 μM, 273.31 ± 6.05 μM and 0.51 ± 0.02 mM, respectively). Lower ammonium concentrations corresponded with abundant nitrifying and ammonia-oxidising prokaryotes in the mixing zone (up to 11.65% relative abundance). Methane, ammonium and dissolved organic carbon concentrations all decreased by >50% from the terrestrial to the oceanic end of the 15 m transect. This study highlights the STE's hidden microbiome zonation, as well as the importance of accounting for microbial transformations mitigating nutrient and greenhouse gas fluxes to the coastal ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Euler
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
| | - Luke C Jeffrey
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
| | - Damien T Maher
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
| | - Scott G Johnston
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
| | - Ryo Sugimoto
- Faculty of Marine Science and Technology, Fukui Prefectural University, Fukui, Japan
| | - Douglas R Tait
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia
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4
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Halevy I, Fike DA, Pasquier V, Bryant RN, Wenk CB, Turchyn AV, Johnston DT, Claypool GE. Sedimentary parameters control the sulfur isotope composition of marine pyrite. Science 2023; 382:946-951. [PMID: 37995229 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh1215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Reconstructions of coupled carbon, oxygen, and sulfur cycles rely heavily on sedimentary pyrite sulfur isotope compositions (δ34Spyr). With a model of sediment diagenesis, paired with global datasets of sedimentary parameters, we show that the wide range of δ34Spyr (~100 per mil) in modern marine sediments arises from geographic patterns in the relative rates of diffusion, burial, and microbial reduction of sulfate. By contrast, the microbial sulfur isotope fractionation remains large and relatively uniform. Over Earth history, the effect of increasing seawater sulfate and oxygen concentrations on sulfate and sulfide transport and reaction may explain the corresponding increase observed in the δ34S offset between sulfate and pyrite. More subtle variations may be related to changes in depositional environments associated with sea level fluctuations and supercontinent cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Halevy
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - D A Fike
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
| | - V Pasquier
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - R N Bryant
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130-4899, USA
- Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - C B Wenk
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - A V Turchyn
- Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EQ, UK
| | - D T Johnston
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - G E Claypool
- 8910 West Jewell Avenue, Unit 209, Lakewood, CO 80232, USA
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5
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Bojanova DP, De Anda VY, Haghnegahdar MA, Teske AP, Ash JL, Young ED, Baker BJ, LaRowe DE, Amend JP. Well-hidden methanogenesis in deep, organic-rich sediments of Guaymas Basin. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1828-1838. [PMID: 37596411 PMCID: PMC10579335 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01485-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Deep marine sediments (>1mbsf) harbor ~26% of microbial biomass and are the largest reservoir of methane on Earth. Yet, the deep subsurface biosphere and controls on its contribution to methane production remain underexplored. Here, we use a multidisciplinary approach to examine methanogenesis in sediments (down to 295 mbsf) from sites with varying degrees of thermal alteration (none, past, current) at Guaymas Basin (Gulf of California) for the first time. Traditional (13C/12C and D/H) and multiply substituted (13CH3D and 12CH2D2) methane isotope measurements reveal significant proportions of microbial methane at all sites, with the largest signal at the site with past alteration. With depth, relative microbial methane decreases at differing rates between sites. Gibbs energy calculations confirm methanogenesis is exergonic in Guaymas sediments, with methylotrophic pathways consistently yielding more energy than the canonical hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic pathways. Yet, metagenomic sequencing and cultivation attempts indicate that methanogens are present in low abundance. We find only one methyl-coenzyme M (mcrA) sequence within the entire sequencing dataset. Also, we identify a wide diversity of methyltransferases (mtaB, mttB), but only a few sequences phylogenetically cluster with methylotrophic methanogens. Our results suggest that the microbial methane in the Guaymas subsurface was produced over geologic time by relatively small methanogen populations, which have been variably influenced by thermal sediment alteration. Higher resolution metagenomic sampling may clarify the modern methanogen community. This study highlights the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach to capture microbial influences in dynamic, deep subsurface settings like Guaymas Basin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana P Bojanova
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Valerie Y De Anda
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Andreas P Teske
- Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jeanine L Ash
- Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Rice University, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Edward D Young
- Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences, University of California - Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Marine Science, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Douglas E LaRowe
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jan P Amend
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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6
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Coon GR, Duesing PD, Paul R, Baily JA, Lloyd KG. Biological methane production and accumulation under sulfate-rich conditions at Cape Lookout Bight, NC. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1268361. [PMID: 37869653 PMCID: PMC10587565 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1268361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is hypothesized to occur through reverse hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis in marine sediments because sulfate reducers pull hydrogen concentrations so low that reverse hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis is exergonic. If true, hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis can theoretically co-occur with sulfate reduction if the organic matter is so labile that fermenters produce more hydrogen than sulfate reducers can consume, causing hydrogen concentrations to rise. Finding accumulation of biologically-produced methane in sulfate-containing organic-rich sediments would therefore support the theory that AOM occurs through reverse hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis since it would signal the absence of net AOM in the presence of sulfate. Methods 16S rRNA gene libraries were compared to geochemistry and incubations in high depth-resolution sediment cores collected from organic-rich Cape Lookout Bight, North Carolina. Results We found that methane began to accumulate while sulfate is still abundant (6-8 mM). Methane-cycling archaea ANME-1, Methanosarciniales, and Methanomicrobiales also increased at these depths. Incubations showed that methane production in the upper 16 cm in sulfate-rich sediments was biotic since it could be inhibited by 2-bromoethanosulfonoic acid (BES). Discussion We conclude that methanogens mediate biological methane production in these organic-rich sediments at sulfate concentrations that inhibit methanogenesis in sediments with less labile organic matter, and that methane accumulation and growth of methanogens can occur under these conditions as well. Our data supports the theory that H2 concentrations, rather than the co-occurrence of sulfate and methane, control whether methanogenesis or AOM via reverse hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis occurs. We hypothesize that the high amount of labile organic matter at this site prevents AOM, allowing methane accumulation when sulfate is low but still present in mM concentrations.
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7
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Buessecker S, Chadwick GL, Quan ME, Hedlund BP, Dodsworth JA, Dekas AE. Mcr-dependent methanogenesis in Archaeoglobaceae enriched from a terrestrial hot spring. THE ISME JOURNAL 2023; 17:1649-1659. [PMID: 37452096 PMCID: PMC10504316 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-023-01472-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The preeminent source of biological methane on Earth is methyl coenzyme M reductase (Mcr)-dependent archaeal methanogenesis. A growing body of evidence suggests a diversity of archaea possess Mcr, although experimental validation of hypothesized methane metabolisms has been missing. Here, we provide evidence of a functional Mcr-based methanogenesis pathway in a novel member of the family Archaeoglobaceae, designated Methanoglobus nevadensis, which we enriched from a terrestrial hot spring on the polysaccharide xyloglucan. Our incubation assays demonstrate methane production that is highly sensitive to the Mcr inhibitor bromoethanesulfonate, stimulated by xyloglucan and xyloglucan-derived sugars, concomitant with the consumption of molecular hydrogen, and causing a deuterium fractionation in methane characteristic of hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogens. Combined with the recovery and analysis of a high-quality M. nevadensis metagenome-assembled genome encoding a divergent Mcr and diverse potential electron and carbon transfer pathways, our observations suggest methanogenesis in M. nevadensis occurs via Mcr and is fueled by the consumption of cross-fed byproducts of xyloglucan fermentation mediated by other community members. Phylogenetic analysis shows close affiliation of the M. nevadensis Mcr with those from Korarchaeota, Nezhaarchaeota, Verstraetearchaeota, and other Archaeoglobales that are divergent from well-characterized Mcr. We propose these archaea likely also use functional Mcr complexes to generate methane on the basis of our experimental validation in M. nevadensis. Thus, divergent Mcr-encoding archaea may be underestimated sources of biological methane in terrestrial and marine hydrothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Buessecker
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Grayson L Chadwick
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Melanie E Quan
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Brian P Hedlund
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - Jeremy A Dodsworth
- Department of Biology, California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Anne E Dekas
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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8
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Viegas J. Profile of Bo Barker Jørgensen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2309067120. [PMID: 37364128 PMCID: PMC10319029 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309067120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
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9
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Zehnle H, Laso-Pérez R, Lipp J, Riedel D, Benito Merino D, Teske A, Wegener G. Candidatus Alkanophaga archaea from Guaymas Basin hydrothermal vent sediment oxidize petroleum alkanes. Nat Microbiol 2023:10.1038/s41564-023-01400-3. [PMID: 37264141 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01400-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Methanogenic and methanotrophic archaea produce and consume the greenhouse gas methane, respectively, using the reversible enzyme methyl-coenzyme M reductase (Mcr). Recently, Mcr variants that can activate multicarbon alkanes have been recovered from archaeal enrichment cultures. These enzymes, called alkyl-coenzyme M reductase (Acrs), are widespread in the environment but remain poorly understood. Here we produced anoxic cultures degrading mid-chain petroleum n-alkanes between pentane (C5) and tetradecane (C14) at 70 °C using oil-rich Guaymas Basin sediments. In these cultures, archaea of the genus Candidatus Alkanophaga activate the alkanes with Acrs and completely oxidize the alkyl groups to CO2. Ca. Alkanophaga form a deep-branching sister clade to the methanotrophs ANME-1 and are closely related to the short-chain alkane oxidizers Ca. Syntrophoarchaeum. Incapable of sulfate reduction, Ca. Alkanophaga shuttle electrons released from alkane oxidation to the sulfate-reducing Ca. Thermodesulfobacterium syntrophicum. These syntrophic consortia are potential key players in petroleum degradation in heated oil reservoirs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Zehnle
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Rafael Laso-Pérez
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
- Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology Department, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julius Lipp
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Riedel
- Max Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary Sciences, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Benito Merino
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Teske
- Department of Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Gunter Wegener
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
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10
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Lever MA, Alperin MJ, Hinrichs KU, Teske A. Zonation of the active methane-cycling community in deep subsurface sediments of the Peru trench. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1192029. [PMID: 37250063 PMCID: PMC10213550 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1192029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The production and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) by microorganisms is widespread in organic-rich deep subseafloor sediments. Yet, the organisms that carry out these processes remain largely unknown. Here we identify members of the methane-cycling microbial community in deep subsurface, hydrate-containing sediments of the Peru Trench by targeting functional genes of the alpha subunit of methyl coenzyme M reductase (mcrA). The mcrA profile reveals a distinct community zonation that partially matches the zonation of methane oxidizing and -producing activity inferred from sulfate and methane concentrations and carbon-isotopic compositions of methane and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). McrA appears absent from sulfate-rich sediments that are devoid of methane, but mcrA sequences belonging to putatively methane-oxidizing ANME-1a-b occur from the zone of methane oxidation to several meters into the methanogenesis zone. A sister group of ANME-1a-b, referred to as ANME-1d, and members of putatively aceticlastic Methanothrix (formerly Methanosaeta) occur throughout the remaining methanogenesis zone. Analyses of 16S rRNA and mcrA-mRNA indicate that the methane-cycling community is alive throughout (rRNA to 230 mbsf) and active in at least parts of the sediment column (mRNA at 44 mbsf). Carbon-isotopic depletions of methane relative to DIC (-80 to -86‰) suggest mostly methane production by CO2 reduction and thus seem at odds with the widespread detection of ANME-1 and Methanothrix. We explain this apparent contradiction based on recent insights into the metabolisms of both ANME-1 and Methanothricaceae, which indicate the potential for methanogenetic growth by CO2 reduction in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Lever
- Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, University of Texas at Austin, Port Aransas, TX, United States
- Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Marc J. Alperin
- Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
- Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM-Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andreas Teske
- Earth, Marine and Environmental Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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11
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Genomic Insights into Niche Partitioning across Sediment Depth among Anaerobic Methane-Oxidizing Archaea in Global Methane Seeps. mSystems 2023; 8:e0117922. [PMID: 36927099 PMCID: PMC10134854 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01179-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Marine sediments are important methane reservoirs. Methane efflux from the seabed is significantly restricted by anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea through a process known as anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Different clades of ANME archaea occupy distinct niches in methane seeps, but their underlying molecular mechanisms still need to be fully understood. To provide genetic explanations for the niche partitioning of ANME archaea, we applied comparative genomic analysis to ANME archaeal genomes retrieved from global methane seeps. Our results showed that ANME-2 archaea are more prevalent than ANME-1 archaea in shallow sediments because they carry genes that encode a significantly higher number of outer membrane multiheme c-type cytochromes and flagellar proteins. These features make ANME-2 archaea perform direct interspecies electron transfer better and benefit more from electron acceptors in AOM. Besides, ANME-2 archaea carry genes that encode extra peroxidase compared to ANME-1 archaea, which may lead to ANME-2 archaea better tolerating oxygen toxicity. In contrast, ANME-1 archaea are more competitive in deep layers than ANME-2 archaea because they carry extra genes (mtb and mtt) for methylotrophic methanogenesis and a significantly higher number of frh and mvh genes for hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Additionally, ANME-1 archaea carry exclusive genes (sqr, TST, and mddA) involved in sulfide detoxification compared to ANME-2 archaea, leading to stronger sulfide tolerance. Overall, this study reveals the genomic mechanisms shaping the niche partitioning among ANME archaea in global methane seeps. IMPORTANCE Anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea are important methanotrophs in marine sediment, controlling the flux of biologically generated methane, which plays an essential role in the marine carbon cycle and climate change. So far, no strain of this lineage has been isolated in pure culture, which makes metagenomics one of the fundamental approaches to reveal their metabolic potential. Although the niche partitioning of ANME archaea was frequently reported in different studies, whether this pattern was consistent in global methane seeps had yet to be verified, and little was known about the genetic mechanisms underlying it. Here, we reviewed and analyzed the community structure of ANME archaea in global methane seeps and indicated that the niche partitioning of ANME archaea was statistically supported. Our comparative genomic analysis indicated that the capabilities of interspecies electron transfer, methanogenesis, and the resistance of oxygen and hydrogen sulfide could be critical in defining the distribution of ANME archaea in methane seep sediment.
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Laso-Pérez R, Wu F, Crémière A, Speth DR, Magyar JS, Zhao K, Krupovic M, Orphan VJ. Evolutionary diversification of methanotrophic ANME-1 archaea and their expansive virome. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:231-245. [PMID: 36658397 PMCID: PMC9894754 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-022-01297-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
'Candidatus Methanophagales' (ANME-1) is an order-level clade of archaea responsible for anaerobic methane oxidation in deep-sea sediments. The diversity, ecology and evolution of ANME-1 remain poorly understood. In this study, we use metagenomics on deep-sea hydrothermal samples to expand ANME-1 diversity and uncover the effect of virus-host dynamics. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a deep-branching, thermophilic family, 'Candidatus Methanospirareceae', closely related to short-chain alkane oxidizers. Global phylogeny and near-complete genomes show that hydrogen metabolism within ANME-1 is an ancient trait that was vertically inherited but differentially lost during lineage diversification. Metagenomics also uncovered 16 undescribed virus families so far exclusively targeting ANME-1 archaea, showing unique structural and replicative signatures. The expansive ANME-1 virome contains a metabolic gene repertoire that can influence host ecology and evolution through virus-mediated gene displacement. Our results suggest an evolutionary continuum between anaerobic methane and short-chain alkane oxidizers and underscore the effects of viruses on the dynamics and evolution of methane-driven ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Laso-Pérez
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Science, and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Fabai Wu
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China.
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, China.
- Donghai Laboratory, Zhoushan, China.
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
| | - Antoine Crémière
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Daan R Speth
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - John S Magyar
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Kehan Zhao
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, Paris, France.
| | - Victoria J Orphan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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13
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Singh A, Kumar M, Chakdar H, Pandiyan K, Kumar SC, Zeyad MT, Singh BN, Ravikiran KT, Mahto A, Srivastava AK, Saxena AK. Influence of host genotype in establishing root associated microbiome of indica rice cultivars for plant growth promotion. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1033158. [PMID: 36452918 PMCID: PMC9702084 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1033158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Rice plants display a unique root ecosystem comprising oxic-anoxic zones, harboring a plethora of metabolic interactions mediated by its root microbiome. Since agricultural land is limited, an increase in rice production will rely on novel methods of yield enhancement. The nascent concept of tailoring plant phenotype through the intervention of synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) is inspired by the genetics and ecology of core rhizobiome. In this direction, we have studied structural and functional variations in the root microbiome of 10 indica rice varieties. The studies on α and β-diversity indices of rhizospheric root microbiome with the host genotypes revealed variations in the structuring of root microbiome as well as a strong association with the host genotypes. Biomarker discovery, using machine learning, highlighted members of class Anaerolineae, α-Proteobacteria, and bacterial genera like Desulfobacteria, Ca. Entotheonella, Algoriphagus, etc. as the most important features of indica rice microbiota having a role in improving the plant's fitness. Metabolically, rice rhizobiomes showed an abundance of genes related to sulfur oxidation and reduction, biofilm production, nitrogen fixation, denitrification, and phosphorus metabolism. This comparative study of rhizobiomes has outlined the taxonomic composition and functional diversification of rice rhizobiome, laying the foundation for the development of next-generation microbiome-based technologies for yield enhancement in rice and other crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Singh
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
- ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, RRS, Lucknow, India
| | - Murugan Kumar
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
| | - Hillol Chakdar
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
| | - Kuppusamy Pandiyan
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
- Ginning Training Center, ICAR-Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology, Nagpur, India
| | - Shiv Charan Kumar
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
| | | | | | - K. T. Ravikiran
- ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, RRS, Lucknow, India
| | - Arunima Mahto
- National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Anil Kumar Saxena
- ICAR-National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Microorganisms, Mau, India
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14
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Shao N, Fan Y, Chou CW, Yavari S, Williams RV, Amster IJ, Brown SM, Drake IJ, Duin EC, Whitman WB, Liu Y. Expression of divergent methyl/alkyl coenzyme M reductases from uncultured archaea. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1113. [PMID: 36266535 PMCID: PMC9584954 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04057-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Methanogens and anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) are important players in the global carbon cycle. Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) is a key enzyme in methane metabolism, catalyzing the last step in methanogenesis and the first step in anaerobic methane oxidation. Divergent mcr and mcr-like genes have recently been identified in uncultured archaeal lineages. However, the assembly and biochemistry of MCRs from uncultured archaea remain largely unknown. Here we present an approach to study MCRs from uncultured archaea by heterologous expression in a methanogen, Methanococcus maripaludis. Promoter, operon structure, and temperature were important determinants for MCR production. Both recombinant methanococcal and ANME-2 MCR assembled with the host MCR forming hybrid complexes, whereas tested ANME-1 MCR and ethyl-coenzyme M reductase only formed homogenous complexes. Together with structural modeling, this suggests that ANME-2 and methanogen MCRs are structurally similar and their reaction directions are likely regulated by thermodynamics rather than intrinsic structural differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Shao
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Yu Fan
- EMTEC IT, ExxonMobil Technical Computing Company, Annandale, NJ, USA
| | - Chau-Wen Chou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Shadi Yavari
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | | | - Stuart M Brown
- Energy Sciences, ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ, USA
| | - Ian J Drake
- Biomedical Sciences, ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ, USA
| | - Evert C Duin
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | - Yuchen Liu
- Energy Sciences, ExxonMobil Technology & Engineering Company, Annandale, NJ, USA.
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15
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Brazelton WJ, McGonigle JM, Motamedi S, Pendleton HL, Twing KI, Miller BC, Lowe WJ, Hoffman AM, Prator CA, Chadwick GL, Anderson RE, Thomas E, Butterfield DA, Aquino KA, Früh-Green GL, Schrenk MO, Lang SQ. Metabolic Strategies Shared by Basement Residents of the Lost City Hydrothermal Field. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0092922. [PMID: 35950875 PMCID: PMC9469722 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00929-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alkaline fluids venting from chimneys of the Lost City hydrothermal field flow from a potentially vast microbial habitat within the seafloor where energy and organic molecules are released by chemical reactions within rocks uplifted from Earth's mantle. In this study, we investigated hydrothermal fluids venting from Lost City chimneys as windows into subseafloor environments where the products of geochemical reactions, such as molecular hydrogen (H2), formate, and methane, may be the only available sources of energy for biological activity. Our deep sequencing of metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from these hydrothermal fluids revealed a few key species of archaea and bacteria that are likely to play critical roles in the subseafloor microbial ecosystem. We identified a population of Thermodesulfovibrionales (belonging to phylum Nitrospirota) as a prevalent sulfate-reducing bacterium that may be responsible for much of the consumption of H2 and sulfate in Lost City fluids. Metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) classified as Methanosarcinaceae and Candidatus Bipolaricaulota were also recovered from venting fluids and represent potential methanogenic and acetogenic members of the subseafloor ecosystem. These genomes share novel hydrogenases and formate dehydrogenase-like sequences that may be unique to hydrothermal environments where H2 and formate are much more abundant than carbon dioxide. The results of this study include multiple examples of metabolic strategies that appear to be advantageous in hydrothermal and subsurface alkaline environments where energy and carbon are provided by geochemical reactions. IMPORTANCE The Lost City hydrothermal field is an iconic example of a microbial ecosystem fueled by energy and carbon from Earth's mantle. Uplift of mantle rocks into the seafloor can trigger a process known as serpentinization that releases molecular hydrogen (H2) and creates unusual environmental conditions where simple organic carbon molecules are more stable than dissolved inorganic carbon. This study provides an initial glimpse into the kinds of microbes that live deep within the seafloor where serpentinization takes place, by sampling hydrothermal fluids exiting from the Lost City chimneys. The metabolic strategies that these microbes appear to be using are also shared by microbes that inhabit other sites of serpentinization, including continental subsurface environments and natural springs. Therefore, the results of this study contribute to a broader, interdisciplinary effort to understand the general principles and mechanisms by which serpentinization-associated processes can support life on Earth and perhaps other worlds.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia M. McGonigle
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, Maine, USA
| | - Shahrzad Motamedi
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - Katrina I. Twing
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Briggs C. Miller
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - William J. Lowe
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | | | - Cecilia A. Prator
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Grayson L. Chadwick
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Rika E. Anderson
- Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, USA
| | - Elaina Thomas
- Department of Biology, Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota, USA
| | - David A. Butterfield
- Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | | | - Matthew O. Schrenk
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Susan Q. Lang
- School of the Earth, Ocean, and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
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16
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Andersen FD, Pedersen KD, Wilkens Juhl D, Mygind T, Chopin P, B Svenningsen E, Poulsen TB, Braad Lund M, Schramm A, Gotfredsen CH, Tørring T. Triculamin: An Unusual Lasso Peptide with Potent Antimycobacterial Activity. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2022; 85:1514-1521. [PMID: 35748039 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.2c00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Lasso peptides are ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs) produced by microorganisms. Here we show that the two natural products triculamin and alboverticillin, originally isolated in 1967 and 1958, respectively, with potent and specific activity against mycobacteria are in fact the same lasso peptide. We solved the structure using 2D NMR spectroscopy and expanded on the previously reported bioactivity. Through genome sequencing, we identify the responsible biosynthetic gene clusters, which curiously revealed that, unlike any known lasso peptides, their precursor peptides appear to have a follower instead of a leader peptide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederikke D Andersen
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Katja D Pedersen
- Department of Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Dennis Wilkens Juhl
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Tobias Mygind
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Paul Chopin
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas B Poulsen
- Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Marie Braad Lund
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Andreas Schramm
- Department of Biology, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | | | - Thomas Tørring
- Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
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17
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Functional and Seasonal Changes in the Structure of Microbiome Inhabiting Bottom Sediments of a Pond Intended for Ecological King Carp Farming. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11060913. [PMID: 35741434 PMCID: PMC9220171 DOI: 10.3390/biology11060913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Bottom sediments are usually classified as extreme habitats for microorganisms. They are defined as matter deposited on the bottom of water bodies through the sedimentation process. The quality of sediments is extremely important for the good environmental status of water, because they are an integral part of the surface water environment. Microorganisms living in sediments are involved in biogeochemical transformations and play a fundamental role in maintaining water purity, decomposition of organic matter, and primary production. As a rule, studies on bottom sediments focus on monitoring their chemistry and pollution, while little is known about the structure of bacterial communities inhabiting this extreme environment. In this study, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) was combined with the Community-Level Physiological Profiling (CLPP) technique to obtain a holistic picture of bacterial biodiversity in the bottom sediments from Cardinal Pond intended for ecological king carp farming. It was evident that the bottom sediments of the studied pond were characterized by a rich microbiota composition, whose structure and activity depended on the season, and the most extensive modifications of the biodiversity and functionality of microorganisms were noted in summer. Abstract The main goal of the study was to determine changes in the bacterial structure in bottom sediments occurring over the seasons of the year and to estimate microbial metabolic activity. Bottom sediments were collected four times in the year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) from 10 different measurement points in Cardinal Pond (Ślesin, NW Poland). The Next-Generation Sequencing (MiSeq Illumina) and Community-Level Physiological Profiling techniques were used for identification of the bacterial diversity structure and bacterial metabolic and functional activities over the four seasons. It was evident that Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were the dominant phyla, while representatives of Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Deltaproteobacteria predominated at the class level in the bottom sediments. An impact of the season on biodiversity and metabolic activity was revealed with the emphasis that the environmental conditions in summer modified the studied parameters most strongly. Carboxylic and acetic acids and carbohydrates were metabolized most frequently, whereas aerobic respiration I with the use of cytochrome C was the main pathway used by the microbiome of the studied bottom sediments.
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18
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Stenzler BR, Zhang R, Semrau JD, DiSpirito AA, Poulain AJ. Diffusion of H 2 S from anaerobic thiolated ligand biodegradation rapidly generated bioavailable mercury. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:3212-3228. [PMID: 35621051 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Methylmercury (MeHg) is a potent neurotoxin that biomagnifies through food webs and which production depends on anaerobic microbial uptake of inorganic mercury (Hg) species. One outstanding knowledge gap in understanding Hg methylation is the nature of bioavailable Hg species. It has become increasingly obvious that Hg bioavailability is spatially diverse and temporally dynamic but current models are built on single thiolated ligand systems, mostly omitting ligand exchanges and interactions, or the inclusion of dissolved gaseous phases. In this study, we used a whole-cell anaerobic biosensor to determine the role of a mixture of thiolated ligands on Hg bioavailability. Serendipitously, we discovered how the diffusion of trace amounts of exogenous biogenic H2 S, originating from anaerobic microbial ligand degradation, can alter Hg speciation - away from H2 S production site - to form bioavailable species. Regardless of its origins, H2 S stands as a mobile mediator of microbial Hg metabolism, connecting spatially separated microbial communities. At a larger scale, global planetary changes are expected to accelerate the production and mobilization of H2 S and Hg, possibly leading to increased production of the potent neurotoxin; this work provides mechanistic insights into the importance of co-managing biogeochemical cycle disruptions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin R Stenzler
- Biology Department, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rui Zhang
- Biology Department, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jeremy D Semrau
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Alan A DiSpirito
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Alexandre J Poulain
- Biology Department, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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19
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Steinsdóttir HGR, Gómez‐Ramírez E, Mhatre S, Schauberger C, Bertagnolli AD, Pratte ZA, Stewart FJ, Thamdrup B, Bristow LA. Anaerobic methane oxidation in a coastal oxygen minimum zone: spatial and temporal dynamics. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2361-2379. [PMID: 35415879 PMCID: PMC9323439 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Coastal waters are a major source of marine methane to the atmosphere. Particularly high concentrations of this potent greenhouse gas are found in anoxic waters, but it remains unclear if and to what extent anaerobic methanotrophs mitigate the methane flux. Here we investigate the long-term dynamics in methanotrophic activity and the methanotroph community in the coastal oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) of Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, combining biogeochemical analyses, experimental incubations and 16S rRNA gene sequencing over 3 consecutive years. Our results demonstrate a stable redox zonation across the years with high concentrations of methane (up to 1.7 μmol L-1 ) in anoxic bottom waters. However, we also measured high activities of anaerobic methane oxidation in the OMZ core (rate constant, k, averaging 30 yr-1 in 2018 and 8 yr-1 in 2019-2020). The OPU3 and Deep Sea-1 clades of the Methylococcales were implicated as conveyors of the activity, peaking in relative abundance 5-25 m below the oxic-anoxic interface and in the deep anoxic water respectively. Although their genetic capacity for anaerobic methane oxidation remains unexplored, their sustained high relative abundance indicates an adaptation of these clades to the anoxic, methane-rich OMZ environment, allowing them to play major roles in mitigating methane fluxes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Snehit Mhatre
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark
| | | | | | - Zoe A. Pratte
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
| | - Frank J. Stewart
- Department of Microbiology and Cell BiologyMontana State UniversityBozemanMTUSA
- School of Biological SciencesCenter for Microbial Dynamics and Infection, Georgia Institute of TechnologyAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Bo Thamdrup
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark
| | - Laura A. Bristow
- Department of BiologyUniversity of Southern DenmarkOdenseDenmark
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20
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Gropp J, Jin Q, Halevy I. Controls on the isotopic composition of microbial methane. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm5713. [PMID: 35385305 PMCID: PMC8985922 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm5713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Microbial methane production (methanogenesis) is responsible for more than half of the annual emissions of this major greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. Although the stable isotopic composition of methane is often used to characterize its sources and sinks, strictly empirical descriptions of the isotopic signature of methanogenesis currently limit these attempts. We developed a metabolic-isotopic model of methanogenesis by carbon dioxide reduction, which predicts carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionations, and clumped isotopologue distributions, as functions of the cell's environment. We mechanistically explain multiple isotopic patterns in laboratory and natural settings and show that these patterns constrain the in situ energetics of methanogenesis. Combining our model with data from environments in which methanogenic activity is energy-limited, we provide predictions for the biomass-specific methanogenesis rates and the associated isotopic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Gropp
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Qusheng Jin
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Itay Halevy
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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21
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Wang Y, Li W, Baker BJ, Zhou Y, He L, Danchin A, Li Q, Gao Z. Carbon metabolism and adaptation of hyperalkaliphilic microbes in serpentinizing spring of Manleluag, the Philippines. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2022; 14:308-319. [PMID: 35199456 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Reduced substrates produced by the serpentinization reaction under hydration of olivine may have fuelled biological processes on early Earth. To understand the adaptive strategies and carbon metabolism of the microbes in the serpentinizing ecosystems, we reconstructed 18 draft genomes representing dominant species of Omnitrophicaeota, Gammaproteobacteria and Methanobacteria from the Manleluag serpentinizing spring in Zambales, Philippines (hyperalkaline and rich in methane and hydrogen). Phylogenomics revealed that two genomes were affiliated with a candidate phylum NPL-UPA2 and the references of all our genomes were derived from ground waters, hot springs and the deep biosphere. C1 metabolism appears to be widespread as most of the genomes code for methanogenesis, CO oxidation and CO2 fixation. However, likely due to the low CO2 concentration and election acceptors, the biomass in the spring was extremely low (<103 cell/ml). Various Na+ and K+ transporters and Na+ -driving ATPases appear to be encoded by these genomes, suggesting that nutrient acquisition, bioenergetics and normal cytoplasmic pH were dependent on Na+ and K+ pumps. Our results advance our understanding of the metabolic potentials and bioenergetics of serpentinizing springs and provide a framework of the ecology of early Earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Wang
- Institute for Ocean Engineering, Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen, 518055, P. R. China
| | - Wenli Li
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
| | - Brett J Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology and Marine Science, University of Texas Austin, Austin, TX, 78373, USA
| | - Yingli Zhou
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Lisheng He
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
| | - Antoine Danchin
- Kodikos Labs, Institut Cochin, 24 rue du Faubourg Saint Jacques, Paris, 75014, France
| | - Qingmei Li
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhaoming Gao
- Institute of Deep Sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, Hainan, 572000, P. R. China
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22
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Kevorkian RT, Sipes K, Winstead R, Paul R, Lloyd KG. Cryptic Methane-Cycling by Methanogens During Multi-Year Incubation of Estuarine Sediment. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:847563. [PMID: 35369448 PMCID: PMC8969600 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.847563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As marine sediments are buried, microbial communities transition from sulfate-reduction to methane-production after sulfate is depleted. When this biogenic methane diffuses into the overlying sulfate-rich sediments, it forms a sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) because sulfate reducers deplete hydrogen concentrations and make hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis exergonic in the reverse direction, a process called the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Microbial participation in these processes is often inferred from geochemistry, genes, and gene expression changes with sediment depth, using sedimentation rates to convert depth to time. Less is known about how natural sediments transition through these geochemical states transition in real-time. We examined 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries and metatranscriptomes in microcosms of anoxic sediment from the White Oak River estuary, NC, with three destructively sampled replicates with methane added (586-day incubations) and three re-sampled un-amended replicates (895-day incubations). Sulfate dropped to a low value (∼0.3 mM) on similar days for both experiments (312 and 320 days, respectively), followed by a peak in hydrogen, intermittent increases in methane-cycling archaea starting on days 375 and 362 (mostly Methanolinea spp. and Methanosaeta spp., and Methanococcoides sp. ANME-3), and a methane peak 1 month later. However, methane δ13C values only show net methanogenesis 6 months after methane-cycling archaea increase and 4 months after the methane peak, when sulfate is consistently below 0.1 mM and hydrogen increases to a stable 0.61 ± 0.13 nM (days 553–586, n = 9). Sulfate-reducing bacteria (mostly Desulfatiglans spp. and Desulfosarcina sp. SEEP-SRB1) increase in relative abundance only during this period of net methane production, suggesting syntrophy with methanogens in the absence of sulfate. The transition from sulfate reduction to methane production in marine sediments occurs through a prolonged period of methane-cycling by methanogens at low sulfate concentrations, and steady growth of sulfate reducers along with methanogens after sulfate is depleted.
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23
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Beulig F, Schubert F, Adhikari RR, Glombitza C, Heuer VB, Hinrichs KU, Homola KL, Inagaki F, Jørgensen BB, Kallmeyer J, Krause SJE, Morono Y, Sauvage J, Spivack AJ, Treude T. Rapid metabolism fosters microbial survival in the deep, hot subseafloor biosphere. Nat Commun 2022; 13:312. [PMID: 35078973 PMCID: PMC8789916 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27802-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
A fourth of the global seabed sediment volume is buried at depths where temperatures exceed 80 °C, a previously proposed thermal barrier for life in the subsurface. Here, we demonstrate, utilizing an extensive suite of radiotracer experiments, the prevalence of active methanogenic and sulfate-reducing populations in deeply buried marine sediment from the Nankai Trough subduction zone, heated to extreme temperature (up to ~120 °C). The small microbial community subsisted with high potential cell-specific rates of energy metabolism, which approach the rates of active surface sediments and laboratory cultures. Our discovery is in stark contrast to the extremely low metabolic rates otherwise observed in the deep subseafloor. As cells appear to invest most of their energy to repair thermal cell damage in the hot sediment, they are forced to balance delicately between subsistence near the upper temperature limit for life and a rich supply of substrates and energy from thermally driven reactions of the sedimentary organic matter. In the deep sedimentary biosphere, 80 °C has been proposed as an upper thermal barrier for life. Using a suite of radiotracer experiments, this study reports active methanogenic and sulfate-reducing microbial populations with high cell-specific metabolic rates in deeply buried marine sediments from the Nankai Trough subduction zone, which reach temperatures up to 120 °C.
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24
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Chadwick GL, Skennerton CT, Laso-Pérez R, Leu AO, Speth DR, Yu H, Morgan-Lang C, Hatzenpichler R, Goudeau D, Malmstrom R, Brazelton WJ, Woyke T, Hallam SJ, Tyson GW, Wegener G, Boetius A, Orphan VJ. Comparative genomics reveals electron transfer and syntrophic mechanisms differentiating methanotrophic and methanogenic archaea. PLoS Biol 2022; 20:e3001508. [PMID: 34986141 PMCID: PMC9012536 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The anaerobic oxidation of methane coupled to sulfate reduction is a microbially mediated process requiring a syntrophic partnership between anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Based on genome taxonomy, ANME lineages are polyphyletic within the phylum Halobacterota, none of which have been isolated in pure culture. Here, we reconstruct 28 ANME genomes from environmental metagenomes and flow sorted syntrophic consortia. Together with a reanalysis of previously published datasets, these genomes enable a comparative analysis of all marine ANME clades. We review the genomic features that separate ANME from their methanogenic relatives and identify what differentiates ANME clades. Large multiheme cytochromes and bioenergetic complexes predicted to be involved in novel electron bifurcation reactions are well distributed and conserved in the ANME archaea, while significant variations in the anabolic C1 pathways exists between clades. Our analysis raises the possibility that methylotrophic methanogenesis may have evolved from a methanotrophic ancestor. A comparative genomics study of anaerobic methanotrophic (ANME) archaea reveals the genetic "parts list" associated with the repeated evolutionary transition between methanogenic and methanotrophic metabolism in the archaeal domain of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grayson L. Chadwick
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GLC); (VJO)
| | - Connor T. Skennerton
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Rafael Laso-Pérez
- Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Science, and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Andy O. Leu
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Daan R. Speth
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Hang Yu
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Connor Morgan-Lang
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Genome Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Danielle Goudeau
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Rex Malmstrom
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - William J. Brazelton
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Tanja Woyke
- US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Steven J. Hallam
- Graduate Program in Bioinformatics, University of British Columbia, Genome Sciences Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
- Genome Science and Technology Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- ECOSCOPE Training Program, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Gene W. Tyson
- Australian Centre for Ecogenomics, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Gunter Wegener
- Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Science, and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Antje Boetius
- Max-Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Science, and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Victoria J. Orphan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (GLC); (VJO)
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25
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Response to substrate limitation by a marine sulfate-reducing bacterium. THE ISME JOURNAL 2022; 16:200-210. [PMID: 34285365 PMCID: PMC8692349 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-021-01061-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sulfate-reducing microorganisms (SRM) in subsurface sediments live under constant substrate and energy limitation, yet little is known about how they adapt to this mode of life. We combined controlled chemostat cultivation and transcriptomics to examine how the marine sulfate reducer, Desulfobacterium autotrophicum, copes with substrate (sulfate or lactate) limitation. The half-saturation uptake constant (Km) for lactate was 1.2 µM, which is the first value reported for a marine SRM, while the Km for sulfate was 3 µM. The measured residual lactate concentration in our experiments matched values observed in situ in marine sediments, supporting a key role of SRM in the control of lactate concentrations. Lactate limitation resulted in complete lactate oxidation via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and differential overexpression of genes involved in uptake and metabolism of amino acids as an alternative carbon source. D. autotrophicum switched to incomplete lactate oxidation, rerouting carbon metabolism in response to sulfate limitation. The estimated free energy was significantly lower during sulfate limitation (-28 to -33 kJ mol-1 sulfate), suggesting that the observed metabolic switch is under thermodynamic control. Furthermore, we detected the upregulation of putative sulfate transporters involved in either high or low affinity uptake in response to low or high sulfate concentration.
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26
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Kong Y, Lei H, Zhang Z, Cheng W, Wang B, Pan F, Huang F, Huang F, Li W. Depth profiles of geochemical features, geochemical activities and biodiversity of microbial communities in marine sediments from the Shenhu area, the northern South China Sea. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 779:146233. [PMID: 34030248 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The biogeochemical processes, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) and methanogenesis, control methane emission and create distinct geochemical profiles with depth in marine sediments. Correlating the capacities and biodiversity of the microbial communities in marine sediments remains challenging. We therefore investigated the geochemical constituents and the capabilities and diversity of microbial communities in sediments at different depths in two cores from the Shenhu area in the northern South China Sea, which is characterized by underlying gas hydrates. The geochemical features, sulfate concentration decreased linearly and the acid volatile sulfur accumulated from 4 m below the seafloor (mbsf) to the bottom, indicating significant sulfate reduction. However, the methane concentration was relatively low and showed irregular trends, indicating that our study cores did not reach the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ). Nevertheless, incubation experiments showed that the microbial groups in sediments performed AOM and methanogenesis in the region where sulfate decreased linearly above the SMTZ. We mapped the diversity and abundance of microbial communities in sediments with depth using high-throughput sequencing. A small proportion of known methanogens (<0.3%) may have been responsible for the methanogenesis during incubation. No classical archaeal anaerobic methanotroph (ANME) sequences were detected across all samples; only a small amount of SEEP-SRB1 were detected, and their abundance did not increase with increasing depth. Thus, unknown or unconventional phylotypes may have participated in AOM during the incubation, and the dominant phylum Bathyarchaeota or the small number of detected methanogens are the most likely performers of AOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Kong
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Huaiyan Lei
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China.
| | - Zilian Zhang
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Weidong Cheng
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Fulong Pan
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Fanfan Huang
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Fanli Huang
- Department of Geological Oceanography, College of Ocean & Earth Science, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, PR China
| | - Wenqing Li
- Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Evaluation in Northeast China, Ministry of Land and Resources, Changchun 130061, PR China
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27
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Zhao R, Biddle JF. Helarchaeota and co-occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria in subseafloor sediments from the Costa Rica Margin. ISME COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 1:25. [PMID: 36737514 PMCID: PMC9723726 DOI: 10.1038/s43705-021-00027-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Deep sediments host many archaeal lineages, including the Asgard superphylum which contains lineages predicted to require syntrophic partnerships. Our knowledge about sedimentary archaeal diversity and their metabolic pathways and syntrophic partners is still very limited. We present here new genomes of Helarchaeota and the co-occurring sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) recovered from organic-rich sediments off Costa Rica Margin. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three new metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) affiliating with Helarchaeota, each of which has three variants of the methyl-CoM reductase-like (MCR-like) complex that may enable them to oxidize short-chain alkanes anaerobically. These Helarchaeota have no multi-heme cytochromes but have Group 3b and Group 3c [NiFe] hydrogenases, and formate dehydrogenase, and therefore have the capacity to transfer the reducing equivalents (in the forms of hydrogen and formate) generated from alkane oxidation to external partners. We also recovered five MAGs of SRB affiliated with the class of Desulfobacteria, two of which showed relative abundances (represented by genome coverages) positively correlated with those of the three Helarchaeota. Genome analysis suggested that these SRB bacteria have the capacity of H2 and formate utilization and could facilitate electron transfers from other organisms by means of these reduced substances. Their co-occurrence and metabolic features suggest that Helarchaeota may metabolize synergistically with some SRB, and together exert an important influence on the carbon cycle by mitigating the hydrocarbon emission from sediments to the overlying ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhao
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, USA
| | - Jennifer F Biddle
- School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Delaware, Lewes, DE, USA.
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28
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Zhou J, Holmes DE, Tang HY, Lovley DR. Correlation of Key Physiological Properties of Methanosarcina Isolates with Environment of Origin. Appl Environ Microbiol 2021; 87:e0073121. [PMID: 33931421 PMCID: PMC8316034 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00731-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
It is known that the physiology of Methanosarcina species can differ significantly, but the ecological impact of these differences is unclear. We recovered two strains of Methanosarcina from two different ecosystems with a similar enrichment and isolation method. Both strains had the same ability to metabolize organic substrates and participate in direct interspecies electron transfer but also had major physiological differences. Strain DH-1, which was isolated from an anaerobic digester, used H2 as an electron donor. Genome analysis indicated that it lacks an Rnf complex and conserves energy from acetate metabolism via intracellular H2 cycling. In contrast, strain DH-2, a subsurface isolate, lacks hydrogenases required for H2 uptake and cycling and has an Rnf complex for energy conservation when growing on acetate. Further analysis of the genomes of previously described isolates, as well as phylogenetic and metagenomic data on uncultured Methanosarcina in anaerobic digesters and diverse soils and sediments, revealed a physiological dichotomy that corresponded with environment of origin. The physiology of type I Methanosarcina revolves around H2 production and consumption. In contrast, type II Methanosarcina species eschew H2 and have genes for an Rnf complex and the multiheme, membrane-bound c-type cytochrome MmcA, shown to be essential for extracellular electron transfer. The distribution of Methanosarcina species in diverse environments suggests that the type I H2-based physiology is well suited for high-energy environments, like anaerobic digesters, whereas type II Rnf/cytochrome-based physiology is an adaptation to the slower, steady-state carbon and electron fluxes common in organic-poor anaerobic soils and sediments. IMPORTANCE Biogenic methane is a significant greenhouse gas, and the conversion of organic wastes to methane is an important bioenergy process. Methanosarcina species play an important role in methane production in many methanogenic soils and sediments as well as anaerobic waste digesters. The studies reported here emphasize that the genus Methanosarcina is composed of two physiologically distinct groups. This is important to recognize when interpreting the role of Methanosarcina in methanogenic environments, especially regarding H2 metabolism. Furthermore, the finding that type I Methanosarcina species predominate in environments with high rates of carbon and electron flux and that type II Methanosarcina species predominate in lower-energy environments suggests that evaluating the relative abundance of type I and type II Methanosarcina may provide further insights into rates of carbon and electron flux in methanogenic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinjie Zhou
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- School of Bioengineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Dawn E. Holmes
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Physical and Biological Science, Western New England University, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Hai-Yan Tang
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Lab for Organic Solid Waste Utilization, National Engineering Research Center for Organic-based Fertilizers, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Solid Organic Waster Resource Utilization, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Derek R. Lovley
- Department of Microbiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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29
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Wegener G, Gropp J, Taubner H, Halevy I, Elvert M. Sulfate-dependent reversibility of intracellular reactions explains the opposing isotope effects in the anaerobic oxidation of methane. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:7/19/eabe4939. [PMID: 33952515 PMCID: PMC8099194 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abe4939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is performed by methanotrophic archaea (ANME) in distinct sulfate-methane interfaces of marine sediments. In these interfaces, AOM often appears to deplete methane in the heavy isotopes toward isotopic compositions similar to methanogenesis. Here, we shed light on this effect and its physiological underpinnings using a thermophilic ANME-1-dominated culture. At high sulfate concentrations, residual methane is enriched in both 13C and 2H (13α = 1.016 and 2α = 1.155), as observed previously. In contrast, at low sulfate concentrations, the residual methane is substantially depleted in 13C (13α = 0.977) and, to a lesser extent, in 2H. Using a biochemical-isotopic model, we explain the sulfate dependence of the net isotopic fractionation through the thermodynamic drive of the involved intracellular reactions. Our findings relate these isotopic patterns to the physiology and environment of the ANME, thereby explaining a commonly observed isotopic enigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunter Wegener
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, 28359 Bremen, Germany.
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Gropp
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel.
| | - Heidi Taubner
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Itay Halevy
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Marcus Elvert
- MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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30
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Schnakenberg A, Aromokeye DA, Kulkarni A, Maier L, Wunder LC, Richter-Heitmann T, Pape T, Ristova PP, Bühring SI, Dohrmann I, Bohrmann G, Kasten S, Friedrich MW. Electron Acceptor Availability Shapes Anaerobically Methane Oxidizing Archaea (ANME) Communities in South Georgia Sediments. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:617280. [PMID: 33935987 PMCID: PMC8081031 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.617280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea (ANME) mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in marine sediments and are therefore important for controlling atmospheric methane concentrations in the water column and ultimately the atmosphere. Numerous previous studies have revealed that AOM is coupled to the reduction of different electron acceptors such as sulfate, nitrate/nitrite or Fe(III)/Mn(IV). However, the influence of electron acceptor availability on the in situ ANME community composition in sediments remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the electron acceptor availability and compared the microbial in situ communities of three methane-rich locations offshore the sub-Antarctic island South Georgia, by Illumina sequencing and qPCR of mcrA genes. The methanic zone (MZ) sediments of Royal Trough and Church Trough comprised high sulfide concentrations of up to 4 and 19 mM, respectively. In contrast, those of the Cumberland Bay fjord accounted for relatively high concentrations of dissolved iron (up to 186 μM). Whereas the ANME community in the sulfidic sites Church Trough and Royal Trough mainly comprised members of the ANME-1 clade, the order-level clade “ANME-1-related” (Lever and Teske, 2015) was most abundant in the iron-rich site in Cumberland Bay fjord, indicating that the availability of electron acceptors has a strong selective effect on the ANME community. This study shows that potential electron acceptors for methane oxidation may serve as environmental filters to select for the ANME community composition and adds to a better understanding of the global importance of AOM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Schnakenberg
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - David A Aromokeye
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ajinkya Kulkarni
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lisa Maier
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lea C Wunder
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tim Richter-Heitmann
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Thomas Pape
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Petra Pop Ristova
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology Group, MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Solveig I Bühring
- Hydrothermal Geomicrobiology Group, MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ingrid Dohrmann
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Gerhard Bohrmann
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Sabine Kasten
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Michael W Friedrich
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.,MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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31
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Friese A, Bauer K, Glombitza C, Ordoñez L, Ariztegui D, Heuer VB, Vuillemin A, Henny C, Nomosatryo S, Simister R, Wagner D, Bijaksana S, Vogel H, Melles M, Russell JM, Crowe SA, Kallmeyer J. Organic matter mineralization in modern and ancient ferruginous sediments. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2216. [PMID: 33850127 PMCID: PMC8044167 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22453-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Deposition of ferruginous sediment was widespread during the Archaean and Proterozoic Eons, playing an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Knowledge of organic matter mineralization in such sediment, however, remains mostly conceptual, as modern ferruginous analogs are largely unstudied. Here we show that in sediment of ferruginous Lake Towuti, Indonesia, methanogenesis dominates organic matter mineralization despite highly abundant reactive ferric iron phases like goethite that persist throughout the sediment. Ferric iron can thus be buried over geologic timescales even in the presence of labile organic carbon. Coexistence of ferric iron with millimolar concentrations of methane further demonstrates lack of iron-dependent methane oxidation. With negligible methane oxidation, methane diffuses from the sediment into overlying waters where it can be oxidized with oxygen or escape to the atmosphere. In low-oxygen ferruginous Archaean and Proterozoic oceans, therefore, sedimentary methane production was likely favored with strong potential to influence Earth's early climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Friese
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Kohen Bauer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Clemens Glombitza
- ETH Zürich, Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Zürich, Switzerland
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Luis Ordoñez
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Ariztegui
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Verena B Heuer
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Aurèle Vuillemin
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
- Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Paleontology & Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Cynthia Henny
- Research Center for Limnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Sulung Nomosatryo
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
- Research Center for Limnology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Cibinong, Bogor, West Java, Indonesia
| | - Rachel Simister
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Dirk Wagner
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Satria Bijaksana
- Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia
| | - Hendrik Vogel
- Institute of Geological Sciences & Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Martin Melles
- Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - James M Russell
- Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Sean A Crowe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
| | - Jens Kallmeyer
- GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany.
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Kevorkian RT, Callahan S, Winstead R, Lloyd KG. ANME-1 archaea may drive methane accumulation and removal in estuarine sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY REPORTS 2021; 13:185-194. [PMID: 33462984 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.12926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Revised: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 01/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
ANME-1 archaea subsist on the very low energy of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Most marine sediments shift from net AOM in the sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ) to methanogenesis in the methane zone (MZ) below it. In White Oak River estuarine sediments, ANME-1 comprised 99.5% of 16S rRNA genes from amplicons and 100% of 16S rRNA genes from metagenomes of the Methanomicrobia in the SMTZ and 99.9% and 98.3%, respectively, in the MZ. Each of the 16 ANME-1 OTUs (97% similarity) had peaks in the SMTZ that coincided with peaks of putative sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfatiglans sp. and SEEP-SRB1. In the MZ, ANME-1, but none of the putative sulfate-reducing bacteria or cultured methanogens, increased with depth. Our meta-analysis of public data showed only ANME-1 expressed methanogenic genes during both net AOM and net methanogenesis in an enrichment culture. We conclude that ANME-1 perform AOM in the SMTZ and methanogenesis in the MZ of White Oak River sediments. This metabolic flexibility may expand habitable zones in extraterrestrial environments, since it enables greater energy yields in a fluctuating energetic landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sean Callahan
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Rachel Winstead
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Karen G Lloyd
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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33
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Fischer PQ, Sánchez‐Andrea I, Stams AJM, Villanueva L, Sousa DZ. Anaerobic microbial methanol conversion in marine sediments. Environ Microbiol 2021; 23:1348-1362. [PMID: 33587796 PMCID: PMC8048578 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Methanol is an ubiquitous compound that plays a role in microbial processes as a carbon and energy source, intermediate in metabolic processes or as end product in fermentation. In anoxic environments, methanol can act as the sole carbon and energy source for several guilds of microorganisms: sulfate-reducing microorganisms, nitrate-reducing microorganisms, acetogens and methanogens. In marine sediments, these guilds compete for methanol as their common substrate, employing different biochemical pathways. In this review, we will give an overview of current knowledge of the various ways in which methanol reaches marine sediments, the ecology of microorganisms capable of utilizing methanol and their metabolism. Furthermore, through a metagenomic analysis, we shed light on the unknown diversity of methanol utilizers in marine sediments which is yet to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Q. Fischer
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
- Department of Marine Microbiology and BiogeochemistryRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59Den BurgTexel7197 ABThe Netherlands
| | - Irene Sánchez‐Andrea
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
| | - Alfons J. M. Stams
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
- Centre of Biological EngineeringUniversity of Minho, Campus de GualtarBraga4710‐057Portugal
| | - Laura Villanueva
- Department of Marine Microbiology and BiogeochemistryRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research, P.O. Box 59Den BurgTexel7197 ABThe Netherlands
- Faculty of GeosciencesUtrecht University, Princetonlaan 8aUtrecht3584 CBThe Netherlands
| | - Diana Z. Sousa
- Laboratory of MicrobiologyWageningen University & Research, Stippeneng 4Wageningen6708 WEThe Netherlands
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34
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Wallenius AJ, Dalcin Martins P, Slomp CP, Jetten MSM. Anthropogenic and Environmental Constraints on the Microbial Methane Cycle in Coastal Sediments. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:631621. [PMID: 33679659 PMCID: PMC7935538 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.631621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, are produced in anoxic sediments by methanogenic archaea. Nonetheless, over 90% of the produced methane is oxidized via sulfate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of methane (S-AOM) in the sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ) by consortia of anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Coastal systems account for the majority of total marine methane emissions and typically have lower sulfate concentrations, hence S-AOM is less significant. However, alternative electron acceptors such as metal oxides or nitrate could be used for AOM instead of sulfate. The availability of electron acceptors is determined by the redox zonation in the sediment, which may vary due to changes in oxygen availability and the type and rate of organic matter inputs. Additionally, eutrophication and climate change can affect the microbiome, biogeochemical zonation, and methane cycling in coastal sediments. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the processes and microorganisms involved in methane cycling in coastal sediments and the factors influencing methane emissions from these systems. In eutrophic coastal areas, organic matter inputs are a key driver of bottom water hypoxia. Global warming can reduce the solubility of oxygen in surface waters, enhancing water column stratification, increasing primary production, and favoring methanogenesis. ANME are notoriously slow growers and may not be able to effectively oxidize methane upon rapid sedimentation and shoaling of the SMTZ. In such settings, ANME-2d (Methanoperedenaceae) and ANME-2a may couple iron- and/or manganese reduction to AOM, while ANME-2d and NC10 bacteria (Methylomirabilota) could couple AOM to nitrate or nitrite reduction. Ultimately, methane may be oxidized by aerobic methanotrophs in the upper millimeters of the sediment or in the water column. The role of these processes in mitigating methane emissions from eutrophic coastal sediments, including the exact pathways and microorganisms involved, are still underexplored, and factors controlling these processes are unclear. Further studies are needed in order to understand the factors driving methane-cycling pathways and to identify the responsible microorganisms. Integration of the knowledge on microbial pathways and geochemical processes is expected to lead to more accurate predictions of methane emissions from coastal zones in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna J. Wallenius
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Paula Dalcin Martins
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Caroline P. Slomp
- Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mike S. M. Jetten
- Department of Microbiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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35
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Rotaru AE, Yee MO, Musat F. Microbes trading electricity in consortia of environmental and biotechnological significance. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2021; 67:119-129. [PMID: 33540362 DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2021.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Favorable interspecies associations prevail in natural microbial assemblages. Some of these favorable associations are co-metabolic dependent partnerships in which extracellular electrons are exchanged between species. For such electron exchange to occur, the cells must exhibit electroactive interfaces and get involved in direct cell-to-cell contact (Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer/DIET) or use available conductive mineral grains from their environment (Conductive-particle-mediated Interspecies Electron Transfer/CIET). This review will highlight recent discoveries and knowledge gaps regarding DIET and CIET interspecies associations in artificial co-cultures and consortia from natural and man-made environments and emphasize approaches to validate DIET and CIET. Additionally, we acknowledge the initiation of a movement towards applying electric syntrophies in biotechnology, bioremediation and geoengineering for natural attenuation of toxic compounds. Next, we have highlighted the urgent research needs that must be met to develop such technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mon Oo Yee
- Lawrence Berkley National Laboratories, Cyclotron Rd. 1, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Florin Musat
- Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, Leipzig, Germany
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36
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Jing H, Wang R, Jiang Q, Zhang Y, Peng X. Anaerobic methane oxidation coupled to denitrification is an important potential methane sink in deep-sea cold seeps. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 748:142459. [PMID: 33113688 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 09/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Microbes play a crucial role in mediating the methane flux in deep-sea cold seep ecosystems, where only methane-related microbes have been well studied, while the whole microbial community and their ecological functions were still largely unknown. Here, we utilized metagenomic data to investigate how the structure and metabolism of microbial community shift in the reduced sediment habitats along the spatial scales. Microbial communities in cold seeps and troughs formed two distinct clades likely driven by environmental factors, such as total sulfur, total phosphate and NO3-, rather than geographical proximity. The predominance of Methanosarcinales reflected a high potential for methane production. In addition to the already well-reported ANME-1/SRB consortia, prevalence of bacterial Methylomirabilis and archaeal Methanoperedens as important performers in the n-damo process with respective of nitrite and nitrate as respective electron acceptor was observed in deep-sea hydrate-bearing regions as well. Aerobic methane oxidization was conducted mainly by type I methanotrophs at Site F (Formosa Ridge), but also via the n-damo process by Methanoperedens and Methylomirabilis in the Haima seep and Xisha Trough, respectively. Based on the high abundance of those denitrifying-dependent methane oxidizers and their related functional genes, we concluded that the previously overlooked n-damo process might be a major methane sink in cold seeps or in gas hydrate-bearing sediments if nitrate is available in the anoxic zones. The signature of isotopic labeling would be essential to confirm the contribution of different anaerobic methane oxidizing pathways in deep-sea cold seep ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongmei Jing
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, ZhuHai, China.
| | - Ruonan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Qiuyun Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - Xiaotong Peng
- CAS Key Laboratory for Experimental Study under Deep-sea Extreme Conditions, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.
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37
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Dong X, Rattray JE, Campbell DC, Webb J, Chakraborty A, Adebayo O, Matthews S, Li C, Fowler M, Morrison NM, MacDonald A, Groves RA, Lewis IA, Wang SH, Mayumi D, Greening C, Hubert CRJ. Thermogenic hydrocarbon biodegradation by diverse depth-stratified microbial populations at a Scotian Basin cold seep. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5825. [PMID: 33203858 PMCID: PMC7673041 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19648-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
At marine cold seeps, gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons migrate from deep subsurface origins to the sediment-water interface. Cold seep sediments are known to host taxonomically diverse microorganisms, but little is known about their metabolic potential and depth distribution in relation to hydrocarbon and electron acceptor availability. Here we combined geophysical, geochemical, metagenomic and metabolomic measurements to profile microbial activities at a newly discovered cold seep in the deep sea. Metagenomic profiling revealed compositional and functional differentiation between near-surface sediments and deeper subsurface layers. In both sulfate-rich and sulfate-depleted depths, various archaeal and bacterial community members are actively oxidizing thermogenic hydrocarbons anaerobically. Depth distributions of hydrocarbon-oxidizing archaea revealed that they are not necessarily associated with sulfate reduction, which is especially surprising for anaerobic ethane and butane oxidizers. Overall, these findings link subseafloor microbiomes to various biochemical mechanisms for the anaerobic degradation of deeply-sourced thermogenic hydrocarbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyang Dong
- School of Marine Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhuhai, 519082, China.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Jayne E Rattray
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - D Calvin Campbell
- Geological Survey of Canada-Atlantic, Dartmouth, NS, B3B 1A6, Canada
| | - Jamie Webb
- Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada), Calgary, AB, T2N 1Z6, Canada
| | - Anirban Chakraborty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Oyeboade Adebayo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Stuart Matthews
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Carmen Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Martin Fowler
- Applied Petroleum Technology (Canada), Calgary, AB, T2N 1Z6, Canada
| | - Natasha M Morrison
- Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines, Halifax, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Adam MacDonald
- Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines, Halifax, NS, B2Y 4A2, Canada
| | - Ryan A Groves
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Ian A Lewis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Scott H Wang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Daisuke Mayumi
- Institute for Geo-Resources and Environment, Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Chris Greening
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Casey R J Hubert
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
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38
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Physicochemical and biological controls of sulfide accumulation in a high temperature oil reservoir. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 104:8467-8478. [DOI: 10.1007/s00253-020-10828-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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39
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Wang Y, Wegener G, Ruff SE, Wang F. Methyl/alkyl-coenzyme M reductase-based anaerobic alkane oxidation in archaea. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:530-541. [PMID: 32367670 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) has been originally identified to catalyse the final step of the methanogenesis pathway. About 20 years ago anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME) were discovered that use MCR enzymes to activate methane. ANME thrive at the thermodynamic limit of life, are slow-growing, and in most cases form syntrophic consortia with sulfate-reducing bacteria. Recently, archaea that have the ability to anaerobically oxidize non-methane multi-carbon alkanes such as ethane and n-butane were described in both enrichment cultures and environmental samples. These anaerobic multi-carbon alkane-oxidizing archaea (ANKA) use enzymes homologous to MCR named alkyl-coenzyme M reductase (ACR). Here we review the recent progresses on the diversity, distribution and functioning of both ANME and ANKA by presenting a detailed MCR/ACR-based phylogeny, compare their metabolic pathways and discuss the gaps in our knowledge of physiology of these organisms. To improve our understanding of alkane oxidation in archaea, we identified three directions for future research: (i) expanding cultivation attempts to validate omics-based metabolic models of yet-uncultured organisms, (ii) performing biochemical and structural analyses of key enzymes to understand thermodynamic and steric constraints and (iii) investigating the evolution of anaerobic alkane metabolisms and their impact on biogeochemical cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinzhao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.,State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Gunter Wegener
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany.,MARUM, Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - S Emil Ruff
- Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA.,J. Bay Paul Center for Comparative Molecular Biology and Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - Fengping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.,School of Oceanography, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
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40
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Orsi WD, Schink B, Buckel W, Martin WF. Physiological limits to life in anoxic subseafloor sediment. FEMS Microbiol Rev 2020; 44:219-231. [PMID: 32065239 PMCID: PMC7269680 DOI: 10.1093/femsre/fuaa004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In subseafloor sediment, microbial cell densities exponentially decrease with depth into the fermentation zone. Here, we address the classical question of 'why are cells dying faster than they are growing?' from the standpoint of physiology. The stoichiometries of fermentative ATP production and consumption in the fermentation zone place bounds on the conversion of old cell biomass into new. Most fermentable organic matter in deep subseafloor sediment is amino acids from dead cells because cells are mostly protein by weight. Conversion of carbon from fermented dead cell protein into methanogen protein via hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methanogenesis occurs at ratios of ∼200:1 and 100:1, respectively, while fermenters can reach conversion ratios approaching 6:1. Amino acid fermentations become thermodynamically more efficient at lower substrate and product concentrations, but the conversion of carbon from dead cell protein into fermenter protein is low because of the high energetic cost of translation. Low carbon conversion factors within subseafloor anaerobic feeding chains account for exponential declines in cellular biomass in the fermentation zone of anoxic sediments. Our analysis points to the existence of a life-death transition zone in which the last biologically catalyzed life processes are replaced with purely chemical reactions no longer coupled to life.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Orsi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Paleontology and Geobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
- GeoBio-Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, 80333 Munich, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schink
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Constance, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Buckel
- Department of Biology, Philipps-Universität, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - William F Martin
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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41
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Jørgensen BB, Andrén T, Marshall IPG. Sub-seafloor biogeochemical processes and microbial life in the Baltic Sea. Environ Microbiol 2020; 22:1688-1706. [PMID: 31970880 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Revised: 01/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The post-glacial Baltic Sea has experienced extreme changes that are archived today in the deep sediments. IODP Expedition 347 retrieved cores down to 100 m depth and studied the climate history and the deep biosphere. We here review the biogeochemical and microbiological highlights and integrate these with other studies from the Baltic seabed. Cell numbers, endospore abundance and organic matter mineralization rates are extremely high. A 100-fold drop in cell numbers with depth results from a small difference between growth and mortality in the ageing sediment. Evidence for growth derives from a D:L amino acid racemization model, while evidence for mortality derives from the abundance and potential activity of lytic viruses. The deep communities assemble at the bottom of the bioturbated zone from the founding surface community by selection of organisms suited for life under deep sediment conditions. The mean catabolic per-cell rate of microorganisms drops steeply with depth to a life in slow-motion, typical for the deep biosphere. The subsurface life under extreme energy limitation is facilitated by exploitation of recalcitrant substrates, by biochemical protection of nucleic acids and proteins and by repair mechanisms for random mismatches in DNA or damaged amino acids in proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Barker Jørgensen
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Thomas Andrén
- School of Natural Sciences, Technology and Environmental Studies, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Ian P G Marshall
- Center for Geomicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.,Center for Electromicrobiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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42
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Aromokeye DA, Kulkarni AC, Elvert M, Wegener G, Henkel S, Coffinet S, Eickhorst T, Oni OE, Richter-Heitmann T, Schnakenberg A, Taubner H, Wunder L, Yin X, Zhu Q, Hinrichs KU, Kasten S, Friedrich MW. Rates and Microbial Players of Iron-Driven Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane in Methanic Marine Sediments. Front Microbiol 2020; 10:3041. [PMID: 32010098 PMCID: PMC6979488 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.03041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The flux of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from the seabed is largely controlled by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to sulfate reduction (S-AOM) in the sulfate methane transition (SMT). S-AOM is estimated to oxidize 90% of the methane produced in marine sediments and is mediated by a consortium of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate reducing bacteria. An additional methane sink, i.e., iron oxide coupled AOM (Fe-AOM), has been suggested to be active in the methanic zone of marine sediments. Geochemical signatures below the SMT such as high dissolved iron, low to undetectable sulfate and high methane concentrations, together with the presence of iron oxides are taken as prerequisites for this process. So far, Fe-AOM has neither been proven in marine sediments nor have the governing key microorganisms been identified. Here, using a multidisciplinary approach, we show that Fe-AOM occurs in iron oxide-rich methanic sediments of the Helgoland Mud Area (North Sea). When sulfate reduction was inhibited, different iron oxides facilitated AOM in long-term sediment slurry incubations but manganese oxide did not. Especially magnetite triggered substantial Fe-AOM activity and caused an enrichment of ANME-2a archaea. Methane oxidation rates of 0.095 ± 0.03 nmol cm-3 d-1 attributable to Fe-AOM were obtained in short-term radiotracer experiments. The decoupling of AOM from sulfate reduction in the methanic zone further corroborated that AOM was iron oxide-driven below the SMT. Thus, our findings prove that Fe-AOM occurs in methanic marine sediments containing mineral-bound ferric iron and is a previously overlooked but likely important component in the global methane budget. This process has the potential to sustain microbial life in the deep biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A. Aromokeye
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Ajinkya C. Kulkarni
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Marcus Elvert
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Gunter Wegener
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Susann Henkel
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Sarah Coffinet
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Thilo Eickhorst
- Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Oluwatobi E. Oni
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Tim Richter-Heitmann
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Annika Schnakenberg
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany
| | - Heidi Taubner
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Lea Wunder
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Xiuran Yin
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Qingzeng Zhu
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Kai-Uwe Hinrichs
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Sabine Kasten
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Michael W. Friedrich
- Microbial Ecophysiology Group, Faculty of Biology/Chemistry, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- MARUM – Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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43
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Shah RM, Crosswell J, Metcalfe SS, Carlin G, Morrison PD, Karpe AV, Palombo EA, Steven ADL, Beale DJ. Influence of Human Activities on Broad-Scale Estuarine-Marine Habitats Using Omics-Based Approaches Applied to Marine Sediments. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7100419. [PMID: 31590307 PMCID: PMC6843362 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7100419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid urban expansion and increased human activities have led to the progressive deterioration of many marine ecosystems. The diverse microbial communities that inhabit these ecosystems are believed to influence large-scale geochemical processes and, as such, analyzing their composition and functional metabolism can be a means to assessing an ecosystem’s resilience to physical and chemical perturbations, or at the very least provide baseline information and insight into future research needs. Here we show the utilization of organic and inorganic contaminant screening coupled with metabolomics and bacterial 16S rRNA gene sequencing to assess the microbial community structure of marine sediments and their functional metabolic output. The sediments collected from Moreton Bay (Queensland, Australia) contained low levels of organic and inorganic contaminants, typically below guideline levels. The sequencing dataset suggest that sulfur and nitrite reduction, dehalogenation, ammonia oxidation, and xylan degradation were the major metabolic functions. The community metabolites suggest a level of functional homogeneity down the 40-cm core depth sampled, with sediment habitat identified as a significant driver for metabolic differences. The communities present in river and sandy channel samples were found to be the most active, with the river habitats likely to be dominated by photoheterotrophs that utilized carbohydrates, fatty acids and alcohols as well as reduce nitrates to release atmospheric nitrogen and oxidize sulfur. Bioturbated mud habitats showed overlapping faunal activity between riverine and sandy ecosystems. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria and lignin-degrading bacteria were most abundant in the sandy channel and bioturbated mud, respectively. The use of omics-based approaches provide greater insight into the functional metabolism of these impacted habitats, extending beyond discrete monitoring to encompassing whole community profiling that represents true phenotypical outputs. Ongoing omics-based monitoring that focuses on more targeted pathway analyses is recommended in order to quantify the flux changes within these systems and establish variations from these baseline measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohan M Shah
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, P. O. Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Joseph Crosswell
- Oceans and Atmosphere, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - Suzanne S Metcalfe
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - Geoffrey Carlin
- Oceans and Atmosphere, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - Paul D Morrison
- Australian Centre for Research on Separation Science, School of Applied Sciences, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3001, Australia.
| | - Avinash V Karpe
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - Enzo A Palombo
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, P. O. Box 218, Hawthorn, VIC 3122, Australia.
| | - Andy D L Steven
- Oceans and Atmosphere, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
| | - David J Beale
- Land and Water, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P. O. Box 2583, Dutton Park, QLD 4001, Australia.
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44
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Haas S, Desai DK, LaRoche J, Pawlowicz R, Wallace DWR. Geomicrobiology of the carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles in Powell Lake: a permanently stratified water column containing ancient seawater. Environ Microbiol 2019; 21:3927-3952. [PMID: 31314947 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We present the first geomicrobiological characterization of the meromictic water column of Powell Lake (British Columbia, Canada), a former fjord, which has been stably stratified since the last glacial period. Its deepest layers (300-350 m) retain isolated, relict seawater from that period. Fine-scale vertical profiling of the water chemistry and microbial communities allowed subdivision of the water column into distinct geomicrobiological zones. These zones were further characterized by phylogenetic and functional marker genes from amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing. Binning of metagenomic reads allowed the linkage of function to specific taxonomic groups. Statistical analyses (analysis of similarities, Bray-Curtis similarity) confirmed that the microbial community structure followed closely the geochemical zonation. Yet, our characterization of the genetic potential relevant to carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycling of each zone revealed unexpected features, including potential for facultative anaerobic methylotrophy, nitrogen fixation despite high ammonium concentrations and potential micro-aerobic nitrifiers within the chemocline. At the oxic-suboxic interface, facultative anaerobic potential was found in the widespread freshwater lineage acI (Actinobacteria), suggesting intriguing ecophysiological similarities to the marine SAR11. Evolutionary divergent lineages among diverse phyla were identified in the ancient seawater zone and may indicate novel adaptations to this unusual environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Haas
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Dhwani K Desai
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Julie LaRoche
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Rich Pawlowicz
- Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of British Columbia, 6339 Stores Road, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Douglas W R Wallace
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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45
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Responses of tundra soil microbial communities to half a decade of experimental warming at two critical depths. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:15096-15105. [PMID: 31285347 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1901307116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Northern-latitude tundra soils harbor substantial carbon (C) stocks that are highly susceptible to microbial degradation with rising global temperatures. Understanding the magnitude and direction (e.g., C release or sequestration) of the microbial responses to warming is necessary to accurately model climate change. In this study, Alaskan tundra soils were subjected to experimental in situ warming by ∼1.1 °C above ambient temperature, and the microbial communities were evaluated using metagenomics after 4.5 years, at 2 depths: 15 to 25 cm (active layer at outset of the experiment) and 45 to 55 cm (transition zone at the permafrost/active layer boundary at the outset of the experiment). In contrast to small or insignificant shifts after 1.5 years of warming, 4.5 years of warming resulted in significant changes to the abundances of functional traits and the corresponding taxa relative to control plots (no warming), and microbial shifts differed qualitatively between the two soil depths. At 15 to 25 cm, increased abundances of carbohydrate utilization genes were observed that correlated with (increased) measured ecosystem carbon respiration. At the 45- to 55-cm layer, increased methanogenesis potential was observed, which corresponded with a 3-fold increase in abundance of a single archaeal clade of the Methanosarcinales order, increased annual thaw duration (45.3 vs. 79.3 days), and increased CH4 emissions. Collectively, these data demonstrate that the microbial responses to warming in tundra soil are rapid and markedly different between the 2 critical soil layers evaluated, and identify potential biomarkers for the corresponding microbial processes that could be important in modeling.
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46
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Jørgensen BB, Findlay AJ, Pellerin A. The Biogeochemical Sulfur Cycle of Marine Sediments. Front Microbiol 2019. [DOI: 10.10.3389/fmicb.2019.00849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
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47
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Jørgensen BB, Findlay AJ, Pellerin A. The Biogeochemical Sulfur Cycle of Marine Sediments. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:849. [PMID: 31105660 PMCID: PMC6492693 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 203] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microbial dissimilatory sulfate reduction to sulfide is a predominant terminal pathway of organic matter mineralization in the anoxic seabed. Chemical or microbial oxidation of the produced sulfide establishes a complex network of pathways in the sulfur cycle, leading to intermediate sulfur species and partly back to sulfate. The intermediates include elemental sulfur, polysulfides, thiosulfate, and sulfite, which are all substrates for further microbial oxidation, reduction or disproportionation. New microbiological discoveries, such as long-distance electron transfer through sulfide oxidizing cable bacteria, add to the complexity. Isotope exchange reactions play an important role for the stable isotope geochemistry and for the experimental study of sulfur transformations using radiotracers. Microbially catalyzed processes are partly reversible whereby the back-reaction affects our interpretation of radiotracer experiments and provides a mechanism for isotope fractionation. We here review the progress and current status in our understanding of the sulfur cycle in the seabed with respect to its microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and isotope geochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Barker Jørgensen
- Department of Bioscience, Center for Geomicrobiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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48
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Contrasting Pathways for Anaerobic Methane Oxidation in Gulf of Mexico Cold Seep Sediments. mSystems 2019; 4:mSystems00091-18. [PMID: 30834326 PMCID: PMC6392090 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00091-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cold seep sediments are complex and widespread marine ecosystems emitting large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and other hydrocarbons. Within these sediments, microbial communities play crucial roles in production and degradation of hydrocarbons, modulating oil and gas emissions to seawater. Despite this ecological importance, our understanding of microbial functions and methane oxidation pathways in cold seep ecosystems is poor. Based on gene expression profiling of environmental seep sediment samples, the present work showed that (i) the composition of the emitted fluids shapes the microbial community in general and the anaerobic methanotroph community specifically and (ii) AOM by ANME-2 in this seep may be coupled to sulfate reduction by Deltaproteobacteria by electron transfer through multiheme cytochromes, whereas AOM by ANME-1 lineages in this seep may involve a different, bacterium-independent pathway, coupling methane oxidation to elemental sulfur/polysulfide reduction. Gulf of Mexico sediments harbor numerous hydrocarbon seeps associated with high sedimentation rates and thermal maturation of organic matter. These ecosystems host abundant and diverse microbial communities that directly or indirectly metabolize components of the emitted fluid. To investigate microbial function and activities in these ecosystems, metabolic potential (metagenomic) and gene expression (metatranscriptomic) analyses of two cold seep areas of the Gulf of Mexico were carried out. Seeps emitting biogenic methane harbored microbial communities dominated by archaeal anaerobic methane oxidizers of phylogenetic group 1 (ANME-1), whereas seeps producing fluids containing a complex mixture of thermogenic hydrocarbons were dominated by ANME-2 lineages. Metatranscriptome measurements in both communities indicated high levels of expression of genes for methane metabolism despite their distinct microbial communities and hydrocarbon composition. In contrast, the transcription level of sulfur cycle genes was quite different. In the thermogenic seep community, high levels of transcripts indicative of syntrophic anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) coupled to sulfate reduction were detected. This syntrophic partnership between the dominant ANME-2 and sulfate reducers potentially involves direct electron transfer through multiheme cytochromes. In the biogenic methane seep, genes from an ANME-1 lineage that are potentially involved in polysulfide reduction were highly expressed, suggesting a novel bacterium-independent anaerobic methane oxidation pathway coupled to polysulfide reduction. The observed divergence in AOM activities provides a new model for bacterium-independent AOM and emphasizes the variation that exists in AOM pathways between different ANME lineages. IMPORTANCE Cold seep sediments are complex and widespread marine ecosystems emitting large amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and other hydrocarbons. Within these sediments, microbial communities play crucial roles in production and degradation of hydrocarbons, modulating oil and gas emissions to seawater. Despite this ecological importance, our understanding of microbial functions and methane oxidation pathways in cold seep ecosystems is poor. Based on gene expression profiling of environmental seep sediment samples, the present work showed that (i) the composition of the emitted fluids shapes the microbial community in general and the anaerobic methanotroph community specifically and (ii) AOM by ANME-2 in this seep may be coupled to sulfate reduction by Deltaproteobacteria by electron transfer through multiheme cytochromes, whereas AOM by ANME-1 lineages in this seep may involve a different, bacterium-independent pathway, coupling methane oxidation to elemental sulfur/polysulfide reduction.
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49
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Labrado AL, Brunner B, Bernasconi SM, Peckmann J. Formation of Large Native Sulfur Deposits Does Not Require Molecular Oxygen. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:24. [PMID: 30740094 PMCID: PMC6355691 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.00024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Large native (i.e., elemental) sulfur deposits can be part of caprock assemblages found on top of or in lateral position to salt diapirs and as stratabound mineralization in gypsum and anhydrite lithologies. Native sulfur is formed when hydrocarbons come in contact with sulfate minerals in presence of liquid water. The prevailing model for native sulfur formation in such settings is that sulfide produced by sulfate-reducing bacteria is oxidized to zero-valent sulfur in presence of molecular oxygen (O2). Although possible, such a scenario is problematic because: (1) exposure to oxygen would drastically decrease growth of microbial sulfate-reducing organisms, thereby slowing down sulfide production; (2) on geologic timescales, excess supply with oxygen would convert sulfide into sulfate rather than native sulfur; and (3) to produce large native sulfur deposits, enormous amounts of oxygenated water would need to be brought in close proximity to environments in which ample hydrocarbon supply sustains sulfate reduction. However, sulfur stable isotope data from native sulfur deposits emplaced at a stage after the formation of the host rocks indicate that the sulfur was formed in a setting with little solute exchange with the ambient environment and little supply of dissolved oxygen. We deduce that there must be a process for the formation of native sulfur in absence of an external oxidant for sulfide. We hypothesize that in systems with little solute exchange, sulfate-reducing organisms, possibly in cooperation with other anaerobic microbial partners, drive the formation of native sulfur deposits. In order to cope with sulfide stress, microbes may shift from harmful sulfide production to non-hazardous native sulfur production. We propose four possible mechanisms as a means to form native sulfur: (1) a modified sulfate reduction process that produces sulfur compounds with an intermediate oxidation state, (2) coupling of sulfide oxidation to methanogenesis that utilizes methylated compounds, acetate or carbon dioxide, (3) ammonium oxidation coupled to sulfate reduction, and (4) sulfur comproportionation of sulfate and sulfide. We show these reactions are thermodynamically favorable and especially useful in environments with multiple stressors, such as salt and dissolved sulfide, and provide evidence that microbial species functioning in such environments produce native sulfur. Integrating these insights, we argue that microbes may form large native sulfur deposits in absence of light and external oxidants such as O2, nitrate, and metal oxides. The existence of such a process would not only explain enigmatic occurrences of native sulfur in the geologic record, but also provide an explanation for cryptic sulfur and carbon cycling beneath the seabed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L. Labrado
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Benjamin Brunner
- Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | | | - Jörn Peckmann
- Centrum für Erdsystemforschung und Nachhaltigkeit, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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50
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Yu H, Susanti D, McGlynn SE, Skennerton CT, Chourey K, Iyer R, Scheller S, Tavormina PL, Hettich RL, Mukhopadhyay B, Orphan VJ. Comparative Genomics and Proteomic Analysis of Assimilatory Sulfate Reduction Pathways in Anaerobic Methanotrophic Archaea. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:2917. [PMID: 30559729 PMCID: PMC6286981 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfate is the predominant electron acceptor for anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in marine sediments. This process is carried out by a syntrophic consortium of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and sulfate reducing bacteria (SRB) through an energy conservation mechanism that is still poorly understood. It was previously hypothesized that ANME alone could couple methane oxidation to dissimilatory sulfate reduction, but a genetic and biochemical basis for this proposal has not been identified. Using comparative genomic and phylogenetic analyses, we found the genetic capacity in ANME and related methanogenic archaea for sulfate reduction, including sulfate adenylyltransferase, APS kinase, APS/PAPS reductase and two different sulfite reductases. Based on characterized homologs and the lack of associated energy conserving complexes, the sulfate reduction pathways in ANME are likely used for assimilation but not dissimilation of sulfate. Environmental metaproteomic analysis confirmed the expression of 6 proteins in the sulfate assimilation pathway of ANME. The highest expressed proteins related to sulfate assimilation were two sulfite reductases, namely assimilatory-type low-molecular-weight sulfite reductase (alSir) and a divergent group of coenzyme F420-dependent sulfite reductase (Group II Fsr). In methane seep sediment microcosm experiments, however, sulfite and zero-valent sulfur amendments were inhibitory to ANME-2a/2c while growth in their syntrophic SRB partner was not observed. Combined with our genomic and metaproteomic results, the passage of sulfur species by ANME as metabolic intermediates for their SRB partners is unlikely. Instead, our findings point to a possible niche for ANME to assimilate inorganic sulfur compounds more oxidized than sulfide in anoxic marine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yu
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States.,Ronald and Maxine Linde Center for Global Environmental Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Dwi Susanti
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Shawn E McGlynn
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Connor T Skennerton
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Karuna Chourey
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Ramsunder Iyer
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States.,Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, United States
| | - Silvan Scheller
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Patricia L Tavormina
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Biswarup Mukhopadhyay
- Department of Biochemistry, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,Biocomplexity Institute, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States.,Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Victoria J Orphan
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
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