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Chen SC, Musat F, Richnow HH, Krüger M. Microbial diversity and oil biodegradation potential of northern Barents Sea sediments. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 146:283-297. [PMID: 38969457 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2023.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2024]
Abstract
The Arctic, an essential ecosystem on Earth, is subject to pronounced anthropogenic pressures, most notable being the climate change and risks of crude oil pollution. As crucial elements of Arctic environments, benthic microbiomes are involved in climate-relevant biogeochemical cycles and hold the potential to remediate upcoming contamination. Yet, the Arctic benthic microbiomes are among the least explored biomes on the planet. Here we combined geochemical analyses, incubation experiments, and microbial community profiling to detail the biogeography and biodegradation potential of Arctic sedimentary microbiomes in the northern Barents Sea. The results revealed a predominance of bacterial and archaea phyla typically found in the deep marine biosphere, such as Chloroflexi, Atribacteria, and Bathyarcheaota. The topmost benthic communities were spatially structured by sedimentary organic carbon, lacking a clear distinction among geographic regions. With increasing sediment depth, the community structure exhibited stratigraphic variability that could be correlated to redox geochemistry of sediments. The benthic microbiomes harbored multiple taxa capable of oxidizing hydrocarbons using aerobic and anaerobic pathways. Incubation of surface sediments with crude oil led to proliferation of several genera from the so-called rare biosphere. These include Alkalimarinus and Halioglobus, previously unrecognized as hydrocarbon-degrading genera, both harboring the full genetic potential for aerobic alkane oxidation. These findings increase our understanding of the taxonomic inventory and functional potential of unstudied benthic microbiomes in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song-Can Chen
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany; Division of Microbial Ecology, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Florin Musat
- Department of Biology, Section for Microbiology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Hans-Hermann Richnow
- Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Krüger
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hannover, Germany
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2
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Fu L, Liu Y, Wang M, Lian C, Cao L, Wang W, Sun Y, Wang N, Li C. The diversification and potential function of microbiome in sediment-water interface of methane seeps in South China Sea. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1287147. [PMID: 38380093 PMCID: PMC10878133 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1287147] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The sediment-water interfaces of cold seeps play important roles in nutrient transportation between seafloor and deep-water column. Microorganisms are the key actors of biogeochemical processes in this interface. However, the knowledge of the microbiome in this interface are limited. Here we studied the microbial diversity and potential metabolic functions by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing at sediment-water interface of two active cold seeps in the northern slope of South China Sea, Lingshui and Site F cold seeps. The microbial diversity and potential functions in the two cold seeps are obviously different. The microbial diversity of Lingshui interface areas, is found to be relatively low. Microbes associated with methane consumption are enriched, possibly due to the large and continuous eruptions of methane fluids. Methane consumption is mainly mediated by aerobic oxidation and denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (DAMO). The microbial diversity in Site F is higher than Lingshui. Fluids from seepage of Site F are mitigated by methanotrophic bacteria at the cyclical oxic-hypoxic fluctuating interface where intense redox cycling of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen compounds occurs. The primary modes of microbial methane consumption are aerobic methane oxidation, along with DAMO, sulfate-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (SAMO). To sum up, anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) may be underestimated in cold seep interface microenvironments. Our findings highlight the significance of AOM and interdependence between microorganisms and their environments in the interface microenvironments, providing insights into the biogeochemical processes that govern these unique ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Fu
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Yanjun Liu
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Minxiao Wang
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Chao Lian
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
| | - Weicheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Mariculture Breeding, Key Laboratory of Marine Biotechnology of Fujian Province, Institute of Oceanology, College of Marine Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Nan Wang
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
| | - Chaolun Li
- Center of Deep Sea Research and Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao, China
- Center for Ocean Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao, China
- South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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3
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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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Murali R, Yu H, Speth DR, Wu F, Metcalfe KS, Crémière A, Laso-Pèrez R, Malmstrom RR, Goudeau D, Woyke T, Hatzenpichler R, Chadwick GL, Connon SA, Orphan VJ. Physiological potential and evolutionary trajectories of syntrophic sulfate-reducing bacterial partners of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002292. [PMID: 37747940 PMCID: PMC10553843 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002292] [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: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Sulfate-coupled anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is performed by multicellular consortia of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (ANME) in obligate syntrophic partnership with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). Diverse ANME and SRB clades co-associate but the physiological basis for their adaptation and diversification is not well understood. In this work, we used comparative metagenomics and phylogenetics to investigate the metabolic adaptation among the 4 main syntrophic SRB clades (HotSeep-1, Seep-SRB2, Seep-SRB1a, and Seep-SRB1g) and identified features associated with their syntrophic lifestyle that distinguish them from their non-syntrophic evolutionary neighbors in the phylum Desulfobacterota. We show that the protein complexes involved in direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) from ANME to the SRB outer membrane are conserved between the syntrophic lineages. In contrast, the proteins involved in electron transfer within the SRB inner membrane differ between clades, indicative of convergent evolution in the adaptation to a syntrophic lifestyle. Our analysis suggests that in most cases, this adaptation likely occurred after the acquisition of the DIET complexes in an ancestral clade and involve horizontal gene transfers within pathways for electron transfer (CbcBA) and biofilm formation (Pel). We also provide evidence for unique adaptations within syntrophic SRB clades, which vary depending on the archaeal partner. Among the most widespread syntrophic SRB, Seep-SRB1a, subclades that specifically partner ANME-2a are missing the cobalamin synthesis pathway, suggestive of nutritional dependency on its partner, while closely related Seep-SRB1a partners of ANME-2c lack nutritional auxotrophies. Our work provides insight into the features associated with DIET-based syntrophy and the adaptation of SRB towards it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjani Murali
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
| | - Hang Yu
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, Unites Stated of America
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Daan R. Speth
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- Division of Microbial Ecology, Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fabai Wu
- ZJU-Hangzhou Global Scientific and Technological Innovation Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Kyle S. Metcalfe
- Department of Plant and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Antoine Crémière
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, Unites Stated of America
| | - Rafael Laso-Pèrez
- Systems Biology Department, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Rex R. Malmstrom
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Danielle Goudeau
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Tanja Woyke
- DOE Joint Genome Institute, Department of Energy, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Roland Hatzenpichler
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States of America
| | - Grayson L. Chadwick
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, Unites Stated of America
- Department of Plant and Molecular Biology, University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Stephanie A. Connon
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, Unites Stated of America
| | - Victoria J. Orphan
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, United States of America
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, Unites Stated of America
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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: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [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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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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McInerney MJ. Lifestyle of a marine anaerobe that eats only short-chain alkanes. Environ Microbiol 2022; 24:2220-2221. [PMID: 35315574 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J McInerney
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
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