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Magnuson E, Altshuler I, Freyria NJ, Leveille RJ, Whyte LG. Sulfur-cycling chemolithoautotrophic microbial community dominates a cold, anoxic, hypersaline Arctic spring. MICROBIOME 2023; 11:203. [PMID: 37697305 PMCID: PMC10494364 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-023-01628-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gypsum Hill Spring, located in Nunavut in the Canadian High Arctic, is a rare example of a cold saline spring arising through thick permafrost. It perennially discharges cold (~ 7 °C), hypersaline (7-8% salinity), anoxic (~ 0.04 ppm O2), and highly reducing (~ - 430 mV) brines rich in sulfate (2.2 g.L-1) and sulfide (9.5 ppm), making Gypsum Hill an analog to putative sulfate-rich briny habitats on extraterrestrial bodies such as Mars. RESULTS Genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were utilized to describe an active microbial community containing novel metagenome-assembled genomes and dominated by sulfur-cycling Desulfobacterota and Gammaproteobacteria. Sulfate reduction was dominated by hydrogen-oxidizing chemolithoautotrophic Desulfovibrionaceae sp. and was identified in phyla not typically associated with sulfate reduction in novel lineages of Spirochaetota and Bacteroidota. Highly abundant and active sulfur-reducing Desulfuromusa sp. highly transcribed non-coding RNAs associated with transcriptional regulation, showing potential evidence of putative metabolic flexibility in response to substrate availability. Despite low oxygen availability, sulfide oxidation was primarily attributed to aerobic chemolithoautotrophic Halothiobacillaceae. Low abundance and transcription of photoautotrophs indicated sulfur-based chemolithoautotrophy drives primary productivity even during periods of constant illumination. CONCLUSIONS We identified a rare surficial chemolithoautotrophic, sulfur-cycling microbial community active in a unique anoxic, cold, hypersaline Arctic spring. We detected Mars-relevant metabolisms including hydrogenotrophic sulfate reduction, sulfur reduction, and sulfide oxidation, which indicate the potential for microbial life in analogous S-rich brines on past and present Mars. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisse Magnuson
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Ianina Altshuler
- MACE Laboratory, ALPOLE, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering (ENAC), Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nastasia J. Freyria
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Richard J. Leveille
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC Canada
- Geosciences Department, John Abbott College, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
| | - Lyle G. Whyte
- Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC Canada
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2
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Fan K, Wang W, Xu X, Yuan Y, Ren N, Lee DJ, Chen C. Recent Advances in Biotechnologies for the Treatment of Environmental Pollutants Based on Reactive Sulfur Species. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12030767. [PMID: 36979016 PMCID: PMC10044940 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The definition of reactive sulfur species (RSS) is inspired by the reactivity and variable chemical valence of sulfur. Sulfur is an essential element for life and is a part of global geochemical cycles. Wastewater treatment bioreactors can be divided into two major categories: sulfur reduction and sulfur oxidation. We review the origins of the definition of RSS and related biotechnological processes in environmental management. Sulfate reduction, sulfide oxidation, and sulfur-based redox reactions are key to driving the coupled global carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur co-cycles. This shows the coupling of the sulfur cycle with the carbon and nitrogen cycles and provides insights into the global material-chemical cycle. We also review the biological classification and RSS metabolic mechanisms of functional microorganisms involved in the biological processes, such as sulfate-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Developments in molecular biology and genomic technologies have allowed us to obtain detailed information on these bacteria. The importance of RSS in environmental technologies requires further consideration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaili Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Xijun Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- College of Biological Engineering, Beijing Polytechnic, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Nanqi Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Duu-Jong Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan
| | - Chuan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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3
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Wang S, Jiang L, Cui L, Alain K, Xie S, Shao Z. Transcriptome Analysis of Cyclooctasulfur Oxidation and Reduction by the Neutrophilic Chemolithoautotrophic Sulfurovum indicum from Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Ecosystems. Antioxidants (Basel) 2023; 12:antiox12030627. [PMID: 36978876 PMCID: PMC10045233 DOI: 10.3390/antiox12030627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemolithoautotrophic Campylobacterota are widespread and predominant in worldwide hydrothermal vents, and they are key players in the turnover of zero-valence sulfur. However, at present, the mechanism of cyclooctasulfur activation and catabolism in Campylobacterota bacteria is not clearly understood. Here, we investigated these processes in a hydrothermal vent isolate named Sulfurovum indicum ST-419. A transcriptome analysis revealed that multiple genes related to biofilm formation were highly expressed during both sulfur oxidation and reduction. Additionally, biofilms containing cells and EPS coated on sulfur particles were observed by SEM, suggesting that biofilm formation may be involved in S0 activation in Sulfurovum species. Meanwhile, several genes encoding the outer membrane proteins of OprD family were also highly expressed, and among them, gene IMZ28_RS00565 exhibited significantly high expressions by 2.53- and 7.63-fold changes under both conditions, respectively, which may play a role in sulfur uptake. However, other mechanisms could be involved in sulfur activation and uptake, as experiments with dialysis bags showed that direct contact between cells and sulfur particles was not mandatory for sulfur reduction activity, whereas cell growth via sulfur oxidation did require direct contact. This indirect reaction could be ascribed to the role of H2S and/or other thiol-containing compounds, such as cysteine and GSH, which could be produced in the culture medium during sulfur reduction. In the periplasm, the sulfur-oxidation-multienzyme complexes soxABXY1Z1 and soxCDY2Z2 are likely responsible for thiosulfate oxidation and S0 oxidation, respectively. In addition, among the four psr gene clusters encoding polysulfide reductases, only psrA3B3C3 was significantly upregulated under the sulfur reduction condition, implying its essential role in sulfur reduction. These results expand our understanding of the interactions of Campylobacterota with the zero-valence sulfur and their adaptability to deep-sea hydrothermal environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources of Fujian Province, Xiamen 361005, China
- Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology (MicrobSea), Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lijing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources of Fujian Province, Xiamen 361005, China
- Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology (MicrobSea), Xiamen 361005, China
- Correspondence: (L.J.); (Z.S.)
| | - Liang Cui
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Huaqiao University, Xiamen 361021, China
| | - Karine Alain
- CNRS, Université Brest, Ifremer, Unité Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes Marins Profonds BEEP, UMR 6197, IRP 1211 MicrobSea, IUEM, Rue Dumont d’Urville, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Shaobin Xie
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources of Fujian Province, Xiamen 361005, China
- Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology (MicrobSea), Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Xiamen 361005, China
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources of Fujian Province, Xiamen 361005, China
- Sino-French Laboratory of Deep-Sea Microbiology (MicrobSea), Xiamen 361005, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai 519000, China
- Correspondence: (L.J.); (Z.S.)
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4
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He W, Cai R, Xi S, Yin Z, Du Z, Luan Z, Sun C, Zhang X. Study of Microbial Sulfur Metabolism in a Near Real-Time Pathway through Confocal Raman Quantitative 3D Imaging. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0367822. [PMID: 36809047 PMCID: PMC10101092 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.03678-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
As microbial sulfur metabolism significantly contributes to the formation and cycling of deep-sea sulfur, studying their sulfur metabolism is important for understanding the deep-sea sulfur cycle. However, conventional methods are limited in near real-time studies of bacterial metabolism. Recently, Raman spectroscopy has been widely used in studies on biological metabolism due to its low-cost, rapid, label-free, and nondestructive features, providing us with new approaches to solve the above limitation. Here, we used the confocal Raman quantitative 3D imaging method to nondestructively detect the growth and metabolism of Erythrobacter flavus 21-3 in the long term and near real time, which possessed a pathway mediating the formation of elemental sulfur in the deep sea, but the dynamic process was unknown. In this study, its dynamic sulfur metabolism was visualized and quantitatively assessed in near real time using 3D imaging and related calculations. Based on 3D imaging, the growth and metabolism of microbial colonies growing under both hyperoxic and hypoxic conditions were quantified by volume calculation and ratio analysis. Additionally, unprecedented details of growth and metabolism were uncovered by this method. Due to this successful application, this method is potentially significant for analyzing the in situ biological processes of microorganisms in the future. IMPORTANCE Microorganisms contribute significantly to the formation of deep-sea elemental sulfur, so studies on their growth and dynamic sulfur metabolism are important to understand the deep-sea sulfur cycle. However, near real-time in situ nondestructive metabolic studies of microorganisms remain a great challenge due to the limitations of existing methods. We thus used an imaging-related workflow by confocal Raman microscopy. More detailed descriptions of the sulfur metabolism of E. flavus 21-3 were disclosed, which perfectly complemented previous research results. Therefore, this method is potentially significant for analyzing the in-situ biological processes of microorganisms in the future. To our knowledge, this is the first label-free and nondestructive in situ technique that can provide temporally persistent 3D visualization and quantitative information about bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanying He
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruining Cai
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Shichuan Xi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Ziyu Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zengfeng Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhendong Luan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chaomin Sun
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Experimental Marine Biology & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Biology and Biotechnology, Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment & Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laboratory for Marine Geology, Pilot Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, China
- College of Earth Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Smedile F, Foustoukos DI, Patwardhan S, Mullane K, Schlegel I, Adams MW, Schut GJ, Giovannelli D, Vetriani C. Adaptations to high pressure of Nautilia sp. strain PV-1, a piezophilic Campylobacterium (aka Epsilonproteobacterium) isolated from a deep-sea hydrothermal vent. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:6164-6183. [PMID: 36271901 PMCID: PMC10092268 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.16256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Physiological and gene expression studies of deep-sea bacteria under pressure conditions similar to those experienced in their natural habitat are critical for understanding growth kinetics and metabolic adaptations to in situ conditions. The Campylobacterium (aka Epsilonproteobacterium) Nautilia sp. strain PV-1 was isolated from hydrothermal fluids released from an active deep-sea hydrothermal vent at 9° N on the East Pacific Rise. Strain PV-1 is a piezophilic, moderately thermophilic, chemolithoautotrophic anaerobe that conserves energy by coupling the oxidation of hydrogen to the reduction of nitrate or elemental sulfur. Using a high-pressure-high temperature continuous culture system, we established that strain PV-1 has the shortest generation time of all known piezophilic bacteria and we investigated its protein expression pattern in response to different hydrostatic pressure regimes. Proteogenomic analyses of strain PV-1 grown at 20 and 5 MPa showed that pressure adaptation is not restricted to stress response or homeoviscous adaptation but extends to enzymes involved in central metabolic pathways. Protein synthesis, motility, transport, and energy metabolism are all affected by pressure, although to different extents. In strain PV-1, low-pressure conditions induce the synthesis of phage-related proteins and an overexpression of enzymes involved in carbon fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Smedile
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Institute of Polar Science (ISP-CNR), Messina, Italy
| | - Dionysis I Foustoukos
- Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Sushmita Patwardhan
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Kelli Mullane
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Marine Biology Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ian Schlegel
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
| | - Michael W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Gerrit J Schut
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Donato Giovannelli
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Costantino Vetriani
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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6
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Hahn CR, Farag IF, Murphy CL, Podar M, Elshahed MS, Youssef NH. Microbial Diversity and Sulfur Cycling in an Early Earth Analogue: From Ancient Novelty to Modern Commonality. mBio 2022; 13:e0001622. [PMID: 35258328 PMCID: PMC9040765 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00016-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Life emerged and diversified in the absence of molecular oxygen. The prevailing anoxia and unique sulfur chemistry in the Paleo-, Meso-, and Neoarchean and early Proterozoic eras may have supported microbial communities that differ from those currently thriving on the earth's surface. Zodletone spring in southwestern Oklahoma represents a unique habitat where spatial sampling could substitute for geological eras namely, from the anoxic, surficial light-exposed sediments simulating a preoxygenated earth to overlaid water column where air exposure simulates oxygen intrusion during the Neoproterozoic era. We document a remarkably diverse microbial community in the anoxic spring sediments, with 340/516 (65.89%) of genomes recovered in a metagenomic survey belonging to 200 bacterial and archaeal families that were either previously undescribed or that exhibit an extremely rare distribution on the current earth. Such diversity is underpinned by the widespread occurrence of sulfite, thiosulfate, tetrathionate, and sulfur reduction and the paucity of sulfate reduction machineries in these taxa. Hence, these processes greatly expand lineages mediating reductive sulfur-cycling processes in the tree of life. An analysis of the overlaying oxygenated water community demonstrated the development of a significantly less diverse community dominated by well-characterized lineages and a prevalence of oxidative sulfur-cycling processes. Such a transition from ancient novelty to modern commonality underscores the profound impact of the great oxygenation event on the earth's surficial anoxic community. It also suggests that novel and rare lineages encountered in current anaerobic habitats could represent taxa that once thrived in an anoxic earth but have failed to adapt to earth's progressive oxygenation. IMPORTANCE Life on earth evolved in an anoxic setting; however, the identity and fate of microorganisms that thrived in a preoxygenated earth are poorly understood. In Zodletone spring, the prevailing geochemical conditions are remarkably similar to conditions prevailing in surficial earth prior to oxygen buildup in the atmosphere. We identify hundreds of previously unknown microbial lineages in the spring and demonstrate that these lineages possess the metabolic machinery to mediate a wide range of reductive sulfur processes, with the capacity to respire sulfite, thiosulfate, sulfur, and tetrathionate, rather than sulfate, which is a reflection of the differences in sulfur-cycling chemistry in ancient versus modern times. Collectively, such patterns strongly suggest that microbial diversity and sulfur-cycling processes in a preoxygenated earth were drastically different from the currently observed patterns and that the Great Oxygenation Event has precipitated the near extinction of a wide range of oxygen-sensitive lineages and significantly altered the microbial reductive sulfur-cycling community on earth.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Ryan Hahn
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Ibrahim F. Farag
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Chelsea L. Murphy
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Mircea Podar
- Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mostafa S. Elshahed
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Noha H. Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
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7
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Wang S, Jiang L, Hu Q, Liu X, Yang S, Shao Z. Elemental sulfur reduction by a deep-sea hydrothermal vent Campylobacterium Sulfurimonas sp. NW10. Environ Microbiol 2020; 23:965-979. [PMID: 32974951 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Sulfurimonas species (class Campylobacteria, phylum Campylobacterota) were globally distributed and especially predominant in deep-sea hydrothermal environments. They were previously identified as chemolithoautotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB), whereas little is known about their potential in sulfur reduction. In this report, we found that the elemental sulfur reduction is quite common in different species of genus Sulfurimonas. To gain insights into the sulfur reduction mechanism, growth tests, morphology observation, as well as genomic and transcriptomic analyses were performed on a deep-sea hydrothermal vent bacterium Sulfurimonas sp. NW10. Scanning electron micrographs and dialysis tubing tests confirmed that elemental sulfur reduction occurred without direct contact of cells with sulfur particles while direct access strongly promoted bacterial growth. Furthermore, we demonstrated that most species of Sulfurimonas probably employ both periplasmic and cytoplasmic polysulfide reductases, encoded by genes psrA1 B1 CDE and psrA2 B2 , respectively, to accomplish cyclooctasulfur reduction. This is the first report showing two different sulfur reduction pathways coupled to different energy conservations could coexist in one sulfur-reducing microorganism, and demonstrates that most bacteria of Sulfurimonas could employ both periplasmic and cytoplasmic polysulfide reductases to perform cyclooctasulfur reduction. The capability of sulfur reduction coupling with hydrogen oxidation may partially explain the prevalenceof Sulfurimonas in deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shasha Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Lijing Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Qitao Hu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Xuewen Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China
| | - Suping Yang
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnology, College of Chemical Engineering, Huaqiao University, Xiamen, 361021, China
| | - Zongze Shao
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, China.,State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Fujian Key Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Xiamen, 361005, China.,Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000, China
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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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9
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Sulfur-dependent microbial lifestyles: deceptively flexible roles for biochemically versatile enzymes. Curr Opin Chem Biol 2019; 49:139-145. [PMID: 30739067 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2018.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A wide group of microbes are able to "make a living" on Earth by basing their energetic metabolism on inorganic sulfur compounds. Because of their range of stable redox states, sulfur and inorganic sulfur compounds can be utilized as either oxidants or reductants in a diverse array of energy-conserving reactions. In this review the major enzymes and basic chemistry of sulfur-based respiration and chemolithotrophy are outlined. The reversibility and versatility of these enzymes, however, means that they can often be used in multiple ways, and several cases are discussed in which enzymes which are considered to be hallmarks of a particular respiratory or lithotrophic process have been found to be used in other, often opposing, metabolic processes. These results emphasize the importance of taking into account the geochemistry, biochemistry and microbiology of an organism and/or environment when trying to interpret the function of a particular sulfur-dependent redox enzyme.
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10
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A review of the mechanisms of mineral-based metabolism in early Earth analog rock-hosted hydrothermal ecosystems. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 35:29. [PMID: 30689069 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-019-2604-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Prior to the advent of oxygenic photosynthesis ~ 2.8-3.2 Ga, life was dependent on chemical energy captured from oxidation-reduction reactions involving minerals or substrates generated through interaction of water with minerals. Terrestrial hydrothermal environments host abundant and diverse non-photosynthetic communities and a variety of minerals that can sustain microbial metabolism. Minerals and substrates generated through interaction of minerals with water are differentially distributed in hot spring environments which, in turn, shapes the distribution of microbial life and the metabolic processes that support it. Emerging evidence suggests that terrestrial hydrothermal environments may have played a role in supporting the metabolism of the earliest forms of microbial life. It follows that these environments and their microbial inhabitants are increasingly being studied as analogs of early Earth ecosystems. Here we review current understanding of the processes that lead to variation in the availability of minerals or mineral-sourced substrates in terrestrial hydrothermal environments. In addition, we summarize proposed mechanisms of mineral substrate acquisition and metabolism in microbial cells inhabiting terrestrial hydrothermal environments, highlighting the importance of the dynamic interplay between biotic and abiotic reactions in influencing mineral substrate bioavailability. An emphasis is placed on mechanisms involved in the solubilization, acquisition, and metabolism of sulfur- and iron-bearing minerals, since these elements were likely integrated into the metabolism of the earliest anaerobic cells.
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Guo Z, Cui K, Zeng G, Wang J, Guo X. Silver nanomaterials in the natural environment: An overview of their biosynthesis and kinetic behavior. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 643:1325-1336. [PMID: 30189549 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Silver nanomaterials (Ag NMs) are fabricated by many biological components in our environment. Recently, research on their biosynthesis and reactions has become a focus of attention. Due to the complexity of biological systems and samples, specific processes and mechanisms involving Ag NMs are difficult to identify and elucidate on the molecular and chemical-bond level. The microorganisms and composite components of plant extracts are of great interest in many biological syntheses. Although potential biomolecules have been shown to play essential roles in biological systems in Ag NM biosynthesis, the detailed mechanism of the electron transfer process and crucial molecules that control this reaction have only recently come into focus. The reactive behavior of the Ag NMs is of great significance for understanding their overall behavior and toxicity. Additionally, only limited knowledge is available about their kinetics. All reactions involve chemical bond formation, electron transfer, or electrostatic interactions. An overview is presented of the biosynthesis of Ag NMs based on molecular supports including a nitrate reductase/NADH oxidase-involved electron transfer reaction and their mechanisms in Ag+ reduction: quinol-mediated mechanism and superoxide-dependent mechanism, and molecular supports in plant extracts, is presented. The environmental reaction kinetics and mechanisms of the interactions of Ag NMs with substances are introduced based on the formation and classification of chemical bonds. The particle-particle reaction kinetics of Ag NMs in the environment are discussed to directly explain their stability and aggregation behavior. The toxicity of Ag NMs is also presented. In addition, future prospects are summarized. This review is the first to provide an insight into the mediating molecules and chemical bonds involved in the biosynthesis, kinetics, and mechanisms of action of Ag NMs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Guo
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, PR China.
| | - Kangping Cui
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, PR China
| | - Guangming Zeng
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, PR China; Key Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Pollution Control (Hunan University), Ministry of Education, Changsha 410082, PR China
| | - Xingpan Guo
- Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, 500 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200241, China
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