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Wu M, Li J, Lai CY, Leu AO, Sun S, Gu R, Erler DV, Liu L, Li L, Tyson GW, Yuan Z, McIlroy SJ, Guo J. Nitrate-driven anaerobic oxidation of ethane and butane by bacteria. THE ISME JOURNAL 2024; 18:wrad011. [PMID: 38365228 PMCID: PMC10811727 DOI: 10.1093/ismejo/wrad011] [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: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
The short-chain gaseous alkanes (ethane, propane, and butane; SCGAs) are important components of natural gas, yet their fate in environmental systems is poorly understood. Microbially mediated anaerobic oxidation of SCGAs coupled to nitrate reduction has been demonstrated for propane, but is yet to be shown for ethane or butane-despite being energetically feasible. Here we report two independent bacterial enrichments performing anaerobic ethane and butane oxidation, respectively, coupled to nitrate reduction to dinitrogen gas and ammonium. Isotopic 13C- and 15N-labelling experiments, mass and electron balance tests, and metabolite and meta-omics analyses collectively reveal that the recently described propane-oxidizing "Candidatus Alkanivorans nitratireducens" was also responsible for nitrate-dependent anaerobic oxidation of the SCGAs in both these enrichments. The complete genome of this species encodes alkylsuccinate synthase genes for the activation of ethane/butane via fumarate addition. Further substrate range tests confirm that "Ca. A. nitratireducens" is metabolically versatile, being able to degrade ethane, propane, and butane under anoxic conditions. Moreover, our study proves nitrate as an additional electron sink for ethane and butane in anaerobic environments, and for the first time demonstrates the use of the fumarate addition pathway in anaerobic ethane oxidation. These findings contribute to our understanding of microbial metabolism of SCGAs in anaerobic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxiong Wu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Jie Li
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Chun-Yu Lai
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- College of Environmental and Resource Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Andy O Leu
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Shengjie Sun
- Computational Science Program, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Rui Gu
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Dirk V Erler
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Lian Liu
- Metabolomics Australia (Queensland Node), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Physics, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Gene W Tyson
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Zhiguo Yuan
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Simon J McIlroy
- Centre for Microbiome Research, School of Biomedical Sciences, Translational Research Institute, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Woolloongabba, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jianhua Guo
- Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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2
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Vogt C, Song Z, Richnow HH, Musat F. Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation due to monooxygenation of short-chain alkanes by butane monooxygenase of Thauera butanivorans Bu-B1211. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1250308. [PMID: 37817750 PMCID: PMC10560718 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1250308] [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: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Multi element compound-specific stable isotope analysis (ME-CSIA) is a tool to assess (bio)chemical reactions of molecules in the environment based on their isotopic fingerprints. To that effect, ME-CSIA concepts are initially developed with laboratory model experiments to determine the isotope fractionation factors specific for distinct (bio)chemical reactions. Here, we determined for the first time the carbon and hydrogen isotope fractionation factors for the monooxygenation of the short-chain alkanes ethane, propane, and butane. As model organism we used Thauera butanivorans strain Bu-B1211 which employs a non-haem iron monooxygenase (butane monooxygenase) to activate alkanes. Monooxygenation of alkanes was associated with strong carbon and hydrogen isotope effects: εbulkC = -2.95 ± 0.5 ‰ for ethane, -2.68 ± 0.1 ‰ for propane, -1.19 ± 0.18 ‰ for butane; εbulkH = -56.3 ± 15 ‰ for ethane, -40.5 ± 2.3 ‰ for propane, -14.6 ± 3.6 ‰ for butane. This resulted in lambda (Λ ≈ εHbulk/εCbulk) values of 16.2 ± 3.7 for ethane, 13.2 ± 0.7 for propane, and 11.4 ± 2.8 for butane. The results show that ME-CSIA can be used to track the occurrence and impact of monooxygenase-dependent aerobic processes converting short-chain alkanes in natural settings like marine and terrestrial seeps, gas reservoirs, and other geological formations impacted by natural gas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten Vogt
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zhiyong Song
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florin Musat
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research–UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- Section for Microbiology, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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3
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Liu C, Liu P, Wang X, Li X, Horita J. Establishing the accuracy of position-specific carbon isotope analysis of propane by GC-pyrolysis-GC-IRMS. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2023; 37:e9494. [PMID: 36797978 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Position-specific (PS) δ13 C values of propane have proven their ability to provide valuable information on the evolution history of natural gases. Two major approaches to measure PS δ13 C values of propane are isotopic 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography-pyrolysis-gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-Py-GC-IRMS). Measurement accuracy of the isotopic 13 C NMR has been verified, but the requirements of large sample size and long experimental time limit its applications. GC-Py-GC-IRMS is a more versatile method with a small sample size, but its accuracy has not been demonstrated. METHODS We measured the PS δ13 C values of propane from nine natural gases using both 13 C NMR and GC-Py-GC-IRMS, then evaluated the accuracy of the GC-Py-GC-IRMS method. RESULTS The results show that large carbon isotope fractionations occurred for both terminal and central carbons within propane during pyrolysis. The isotope fractionations during the pyrolysis are reproducible at optimum conditions, but vary between the two GC-Py-GC-IRMS systems tested, affected by experimental conditions (e.g., pyrolysis temperature, flow rate, and reactor conditions). CONCLUSIONS It is necessary to evaluate and calibrate each GC-Py-GC-IRMS system using propane gases with accurately determined PS δ13 C values. This study also highlights a need for PS isotope standards for propane and other molecules (e.g., butane and acetic acid).
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Affiliation(s)
- Changjie Liu
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources, Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Peng Liu
- College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaofeng Wang
- Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xiaoqiang Li
- Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Juske Horita
- Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
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4
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Soares A, Edwards A, An D, Bagnoud A, Bradley J, Barnhart E, Bomberg M, Budwill K, Caffrey SM, Fields M, Gralnick J, Kadnikov V, Momper L, Osburn M, Mu A, Moreau JW, Moser D, Purkamo L, Rassner SM, Sheik CS, Sherwood Lollar B, Toner BM, Voordouw G, Wouters K, Mitchell AC. A global perspective on bacterial diversity in the terrestrial deep subsurface. MICROBIOLOGY (READING, ENGLAND) 2023; 169:001172. [PMID: 36748549 PMCID: PMC9993121 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
While recent efforts to catalogue Earth's microbial diversity have focused upon surface and marine habitats, 12-20 % of Earth's biomass is suggested to exist in the terrestrial deep subsurface, compared to ~1.8 % in the deep subseafloor. Metagenomic studies of the terrestrial deep subsurface have yielded a trove of divergent and functionally important microbiomes from a range of localities. However, a wider perspective of microbial diversity and its relationship to environmental conditions within the terrestrial deep subsurface is still required. Our meta-analysis reveals that terrestrial deep subsurface microbiota are dominated by Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria and Firmicutes, probably as a function of the diverse metabolic strategies of these taxa. Evidence was also found for a common small consortium of prevalent Betaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria operational taxonomic units across the localities. This implies a core terrestrial deep subsurface community, irrespective of aquifer lithology, depth and other variables, that may play an important role in colonizing and sustaining microbial habitats in the deep terrestrial subsurface. An in silico contamination-aware approach to analysing this dataset underscores the importance of downstream methods for assuring that robust conclusions can be reached from deep subsurface-derived sequencing data. Understanding the global panorama of microbial diversity and ecological dynamics in the deep terrestrial subsurface provides a first step towards understanding the role of microbes in global subsurface element and nutrient cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Soares
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University (AU), Aberystwyth, UK
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), AU, Aberystwyth, UK
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Present address: Group for Aquatic Microbial Ecology (GAME), University of Duisburg-Essen, Campus Essen - Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Universitätsstr. 5, 45141 Essen, Germany
| | - A. Edwards
- Institute of Biology, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS), AU, Aberystwyth, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), AU, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - D. An
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - A. Bagnoud
- Institut de Génie Thermique (IGT), Haute École d'Ingénierie et de Gestion du Canton de Vaud (HEIG-VD), Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland
| | - J. Bradley
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - E. Barnhart
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), USA, Reston, VA, USA
- Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - M. Bomberg
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
| | | | | | - M. Fields
- Center for Biofilm Engineering (CBE), Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, MSU, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - J. Gralnick
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - V. Kadnikov
- Institute of Bioengineering, Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
| | - L. Momper
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences (DEAPS), The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - M. Osburn
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - A. Mu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Doherty Applied Microbial Genomics, Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - J. W. Moreau
- School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - D. Moser
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute (DRI), Las Vegas, NV, USA
| | - L. Purkamo
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Finland
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES), University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
- Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), Finland
| | - S. M. Rassner
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University (AU), Aberystwyth, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), AU, Aberystwyth, UK
| | - C. S. Sheik
- Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, USA
| | | | - B. M. Toner
- Department of Soil, Water & Climate, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, MN, USA
| | - G. Voordouw
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - K. Wouters
- Institute for Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), Belgian Nuclear Research Centre SCK•CEN, Mol, Belgium
| | - A. C. Mitchell
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES), Aberystwyth University (AU), Aberystwyth, UK
- Interdisciplinary Centre for Environmental Microbiology (iCEM), AU, Aberystwyth, UK
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5
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Kawagucci S, Sakai S, Tasumi E, Hirai M, Takaki Y, Nunoura T, Saitoh M, Ueno Y, Yoshida N, Shibuya T, Clifford Sample J, Okumura T, Takai K. Deep Subseafloor Biogeochemical Processes and Microbial Populations Potentially Associated with the 2011 Tohoku-oki Earthquake at the Japan Trench Accretionary Wedge (IODP Expedition 343). Microbes Environ 2023; 38:n/a. [PMID: 37331792 DOI: 10.1264/jsme2.me22108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Post-mega-earthquake geochemical and microbiological properties in subseafloor sediments of the Japan Trench accretionary wedge were investigated using core samples from Hole C0019E, which was drilled down to 851 m below seafloor (mbsf) at a water depth of 6,890 m. Methane was abundant throughout accretionary prism sediments; however, its concentration decreased close to the plate boundary decollement. Methane isotope systematics indicated a biogenic origin. The content of mole-cular hydrogen (H2) was low throughout core samples, but markedly increased at specific depths that were close to potential faults predicted by logging-while-drilling ana-lyses. Based on isotopic systematics, H2 appeared to have been abundantly produced via a low-temperature interaction between pore water and the fresh surface of crushed rock induced by earthquakes. Subseafloor microbial cell density remained constant at approximately 105 cells mL-1. Amplicon sequences revealed that predominant members at the phylum level were common throughout the units tested, which also included members frequently found in anoxic subseafloor sediments. Metabolic potential assays using radioactive isotopes as tracers revealed homoacetogenic activity in H2-enriched core samples collected near the fault. Furthermore, homoacetogenic bacteria, including Acetobacterium carbinolicum, were isolated from similar samples. Therefore, post-earthquake subseafloor microbial communities in the Japan Trench accretionary prism appear to be episodically dominated by homoacetogenic populations and potentially function due to the earthquake-induced low-temperature generation of H2. These post-earthquake microbial communities may eventually return to the steady-state communities dominated by oligotrophic heterotrophs and hydrogenotrophic and methylotrophic methanogens that are dependent on refractory organic matter in the sediment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Kawagucci
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
- Marine Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment Research Center (BioEnv), Research Institute for Global Change (RIGC), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | - Sanae Sakai
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | - Eiji Tasumi
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | - Miho Hirai
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | - Yoshihiro Takaki
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | - Takuro Nunoura
- Research Center for Bioscience and Nanoscience (CeBN), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | | | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology
| | - Naohiro Yoshida
- Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology
- National Institute of Information and Communications Technology
| | - Takazo Shibuya
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
| | | | - Tomoyo Okumura
- Center for Advanced Marine Core Research, Kochi University
| | - Ken Takai
- Super-cutting-edge Grand and Advanced Research (SUGAR) Program, Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-STAR), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
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6
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Anaerobic oxidation of propane coupled to nitrate reduction by a lineage within the class Symbiobacteriia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6115. [PMID: 36253480 PMCID: PMC9576796 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33872-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Anaerobic microorganisms are thought to play a critical role in regulating the flux of short-chain gaseous alkanes (SCGAs; including ethane, propane and butane) from terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems to the atmosphere. Sulfate has been confirmed to act as electron acceptor supporting microbial anaerobic oxidation of SCGAs, yet several other energetically more favourable acceptors co-exist with these gases in anaerobic environments. Here, we show that a bioreactor seeded with biomass from a wastewater treatment facility can perform anaerobic propane oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction to dinitrogen gas and ammonium. The bioreactor was operated for more than 1000 days, and we used 13C- and 15N-labelling experiments, metagenomic, metatranscriptomic, metaproteomic and metabolite analyses to characterize the microbial community and the metabolic processes. The data collectively suggest that a species representing a novel order within the bacterial class Symbiobacteriia is responsible for the observed nitrate-dependent propane oxidation. The closed genome of this organism, which we designate as 'Candidatus Alkanivorans nitratireducens', encodes pathways for oxidation of propane to CO2 via fumarate addition, and for nitrate reduction, with all the key genes expressed during nitrate-dependent propane oxidation. Our results suggest that nitrate is a relevant electron sink for SCGA oxidation in anaerobic environments, constituting a new microbially-mediated link between the carbon and nitrogen cycles.
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7
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Taguchi K, Gilbert A, Sherwood Lollar B, Giunta T, Boreham CJ, Liu Q, Horita J, Ueno Y. Low 13C- 13C abundances in abiotic ethane. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5790. [PMID: 36184637 PMCID: PMC9527245 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33538-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinguishing biotic compounds from abiotic ones is important in resource geology, biogeochemistry, and the search for life in the universe. Stable isotopes have traditionally been used to discriminate the origins of organic materials, with particular focus on hydrocarbons. However, despite extensive efforts, unequivocal distinction of abiotic hydrocarbons remains challenging. Recent development of clumped-isotope analysis provides more robust information because it is independent of the stable isotopic composition of the starting material. Here, we report data from a 13C-13C clumped-isotope analysis of ethane and demonstrate that the abiotically-synthesized ethane shows distinctively low 13C-13C abundances compared to thermogenic ethane. A collision frequency model predicts the observed low 13C-13C abundances (anti-clumping) in ethane produced from methyl radical recombination. In contrast, thermogenic ethane presumably exhibits near stochastic 13C-13C distribution inherited from the biological precursor, which undergoes C-C bond cleavage/recombination during metabolism. Further, we find an exceptionally high 13C-13C signature in ethane remaining after microbial oxidation. In summary, the approach distinguishes between thermogenic, microbially altered, and abiotic hydrocarbons. The 13C-13C signature can provide an important step forward for discrimination of the origin of organic molecules on Earth and in extra-terrestrial environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koudai Taguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan.
| | - Alexis Gilbert
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan. .,Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan.
| | - Barbara Sherwood Lollar
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B1, Canada.,Institut de physique du globe de Paris (IPGP), Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Giunta
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B1, Canada.,Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Geo-Ocean, F-29280, Plouzané, France
| | | | - Qi Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
| | - Juske Horita
- Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA
| | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan. .,Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan. .,Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-garde Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan.
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8
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Hydrocarbon Cycling in the Tokamachi Mud Volcano (Japan): Insights from Isotopologue and Metataxonomic Analyses. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071417. [PMID: 35889138 PMCID: PMC9323770 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding hydrocarbon cycling in the subsurface is important in various disciplines including climate science, energy resources and astrobiology. Mud volcanoes provide insights into biogeochemical processes occurring in the subsurface. They are usually associated with natural gas reservoirs consisting mainly of methane and other hydrocarbons as well as CO2. Stable isotopes have been used to decipher the sources and sinks of hydrocarbons in the subsurface, although the interpretation can be ambiguous due to the numerous processes involved. Here we report new data for hydrocarbon isotope analysis, including position-specific isotope composition of propane, for samples from the Tokamachi mud volcano area, Japan. The data suggest that C2+ hydrocarbons are being biodegraded, with indirect production of methane (“secondary methanogenesis”). Data from chemical and isotopic composition are discussed with regard to 16S rRNA analysis, which exhibits the presence of hydrogenotrophic and acetoclastic methoanogens. Overall, the combination of isotopologue analysis with 16S rRNA gene data allows refining of our understanding of hydrocarbon cycling in subsurface environments.
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9
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Chen SC, Ji J, Popp D, Jaekel U, Richnow HH, Sievert SM, Musat F. Genome and proteome analyses show the gaseous alkane degrader Desulfosarcina sp. strain BuS5 as an extreme metabolic specialist. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:1964-1976. [PMID: 35257474 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The metabolic potential of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfosarcina sp. strain BuS5, currently the only pure culture able to oxidize the volatile alkanes propane and butane without oxygen, was investigated via genomics, proteomics and physiology assays. Complete genome sequencing revealed that strain BuS5 encodes a single alkyl-succinate synthase, an enzyme which apparently initiates oxidation of both propane and butane. The formed alkyl-succinates are oxidized to CO2 via beta oxidation and the oxidative Wood-Ljungdahl pathways as shown by proteogenomics analyses. Strain BuS5 conserves energy via the canonical sulfate reduction pathway and electron bifurcation. An ability to utilize long-chain fatty acids, mannose and oligopeptides, suggested by automated annotation pipelines, was not supported by physiology assays and in-depth analyses of the corresponding genetic systems. Consistently, comparative genomics revealed a streamlined BuS5 genome with a remarkable paucity of catabolic modules. These results establish strain BuS5 as an exceptional metabolic specialist, able to grow only with propane and butane, for which we propose the name Desulfosarcina aeriophaga BuS5. This highly restrictive lifestyle, most likely the result of habitat-driven evolutionary gene loss, may provide D. aeriophaga BuS5 a competitive edge in sediments impacted by natural gas seeps. Etymology: Desulfosarcina aeriophaga, aério (Greek): gas; phágos (Greek): eater; D. aeriophaga: a gas eating or gas feeding Desulfosarcina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Can Chen
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jiaheng Ji
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Denny Popp
- Department of Environmental Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Stefan M Sievert
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA
| | - Florin Musat
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Taguchi K, Gilbert A, Ueno Y. Standardization for 13 C- 13 C clumped isotope analysis by the fluorination method. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2021; 35:e9109. [PMID: 33880802 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.9109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE The 13 C-13 C isotopologues of C2 molecules have recently been measured using a fluorination method. The C2 compound is first fluorinated into hexafluoroethane (C2 F6 ), and its 13 C-isotopologues are subsequently measured using a conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Here, we present an approach for standardizing the fluorination method on an absolute reference scale by using isotopically enriched C2 F6 . METHODS We prepared physical mixtures of 13 C-13 C-labeled ethanol and natural ethanol. The enriched ethanol samples were measured using the recently developed fluorination method. Based on the difference between the calculated and measured ∆13 C13 C values, we quantified the extent to which isotopologues were scrambled during dehydration, fluorination, and ionization in the ion source. RESULTS The measured ∆13 C13 C value was approximately 20% lower than that expected from the amount of 13 C-13 C ethanol. The potential scrambling in the ion source was estimated to be 0.5-2%, which is lower than the observed isotopic reordering. Therefore, isotopic reordering may have occurred during either dehydration or fluorination. CONCLUSIONS For typical analysis of natural samples, scrambling in the ion source can only change the ∆13 C13 C value by less than 0.04‰, which is lower than the current analytical precision (±0.07‰). Therefore, the observed isotopic reordering may have occurred during the fluorination of ethene through the scrambling of isotopologues of ethene but not in the ion source of the mass spectrometer or during the dehydration of ethanol, given the small amount of C1 and C3+ molecules. Thus, we obtained the empirical transfer function ∆13 C13 CCSC = λ × ∆13 C13 C with a λ value of 1.25 ± 0.01 for ethanol/ethene and 1.00 for ethane. Using the empirical transfer function, the developed fluorination method can provide actual differences in ∆ values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koudai Taguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Meguro, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Alexis Gilbert
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Meguro, 152-8551, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Meguro, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Meguro, 152-8551, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Meguro, 152-8550, Japan
- Institute for Extra-cutting-edge Science and Technology Avant-grade Research (X-star), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokosuka, Natsushima-cho, 237-0061, Japan
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Smith HH, Hyde AS, Simkus DN, Libby E, Maurer SE, Graham HV, Kempes CP, Sherwood Lollar B, Chou L, Ellington AD, Fricke GM, Girguis PR, Grefenstette NM, Pozarycki CI, House CH, Johnson SS. The Grayness of the Origin of Life. Life (Basel) 2021; 11:498. [PMID: 34072344 PMCID: PMC8226951 DOI: 10.3390/life11060498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In the search for life beyond Earth, distinguishing the living from the non-living is paramount. However, this distinction is often elusive, as the origin of life is likely a stepwise evolutionary process, not a singular event. Regardless of the favored origin of life model, an inherent "grayness" blurs the theorized threshold defining life. Here, we explore the ambiguities between the biotic and the abiotic at the origin of life. The role of grayness extends into later transitions as well. By recognizing the limitations posed by grayness, life detection researchers will be better able to develop methods sensitive to prebiotic chemical systems and life with alternative biochemistries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary H. Smith
- Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
- Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Andrew S. Hyde
- Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
- Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Danielle N. Simkus
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; (D.N.S.); (H.V.G.); (L.C.); (C.I.P.)
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, USRA, Columbia, MD 20146, USA
- Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
| | - Eric Libby
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA; (E.L.); (C.P.K.); (N.M.G.)
- Department of Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
- Icelab, Umeå University, 90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Sarah E. Maurer
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Central Connecticut State University, New Britain, CT 06050, USA;
| | - Heather V. Graham
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; (D.N.S.); (H.V.G.); (L.C.); (C.I.P.)
- Department of Physics, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
| | | | | | - Luoth Chou
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; (D.N.S.); (H.V.G.); (L.C.); (C.I.P.)
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, USRA, Columbia, MD 20146, USA
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Andrew D. Ellington
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, College of Natural Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA;
- Center for Systems and Synthetic Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - G. Matthew Fricke
- Department of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87108, USA;
| | - Peter R. Girguis
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA;
| | - Natalie M. Grefenstette
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA; (E.L.); (C.P.K.); (N.M.G.)
- Blue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA 98104, USA
| | - Chad I. Pozarycki
- NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA; (D.N.S.); (H.V.G.); (L.C.); (C.I.P.)
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Christopher H. House
- Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA;
- Earth and Environmental Systems Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Sarah Stewart Johnson
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Science, Technology and International Affairs Program, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Taguchi K, Yamamoto T, Nakagawa M, Gilbert A, Ueno Y. A fluorination method for measuring the 13 C- 13 C isotopologue of C 2 molecules. RAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY : RCM 2020; 34:e8761. [PMID: 32067266 DOI: 10.1002/rcm.8761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 02/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Doubly substituted isotope species ("clumped" isotopes) can provide insights into the biogeochemical history of a molecule, including its temperature of formation and/or its (bio)synthetic pathway. Here, we propose a new fluorination method for the measurement of 13 C-13 C species in C2 molecules using a conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Target molecules include ethane, ethene and ethanol. METHODS 13 C-13 C isotope species in C2 molecules were measured as C2 F6 using a conventional isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Ethane and ethene are directly fluorinated to C2 F6 . Ethanol is measured after dehydration to ethene and subsequent fluorination of the latter. The method enables the measurement of the Δ13 C13 C values normalized against a reference working standard. RESULTS The reproducibility of the whole protocol, including chemical modification steps and measurement of C2 F6 isotopologues, is better than ±0.14‰ for all the compounds. Ethane from natural gas samples and biologically derived ethanol show a narrow range of Δ13 C13 C values, varying from 0.72‰ to 0.90‰. In contrast, synthetic ethanol as well as putative abiotic ethane show Δ13 C13 C values significantly different from this range with values of 1.14‰ and 0.25‰, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The method presented here provides alternative means of measuring 13 C-13 C species to that using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Preliminary data from natural and synthetic molecules re-emphasizes the potential of 13 C clumped isotope species as a (bio)marker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koudai Taguchi
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Tomonari Yamamoto
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
| | - Mayuko Nakagawa
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Alexis Gilbert
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
| | - Yuichiro Ueno
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan
- Earth-Life Science Institute (WPI-ELSI), Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro, Tokyo, 152-8550, Japan
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
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