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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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Wu JH, McGenity TJ, Rettberg P, Simões MF, Li WJ, Antunes A. The archaeal class Halobacteria and astrobiology: Knowledge gaps and research opportunities. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1023625. [PMID: 36312929 PMCID: PMC9608585 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1023625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Water bodies on Mars and the icy moons of the outer solar system are now recognized as likely being associated with high levels of salt. Therefore, the study of high salinity environments and their inhabitants has become increasingly relevant for Astrobiology. Members of the archaeal class Halobacteria are the most successful microbial group living in hypersaline conditions and are recognized as key model organisms for exposure experiments. Despite this, data for the class is uneven across taxa and widely dispersed across the literature, which has made it difficult to properly assess the potential for species of Halobacteria to survive under the polyextreme conditions found beyond Earth. Here we provide an overview of published data on astrobiology-linked exposure experiments performed with members of the Halobacteria, identifying clear knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia-Hui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Terry J. McGenity
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Petra Rettberg
- German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Aerospace Medicine, Köln, Germany
| | - Marta F. Simões
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Wen-Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Taipa, Macau SAR, China
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
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Kelbrick M, Oliver JAW, Ramkissoon NK, Dugdale A, Stephens BP, Kucukkilic-Stephens E, Schwenzer SP, Antunes A, Macey MC. Microbes from Brine Systems with Fluctuating Salinity Can Thrive under Simulated Martian Chemical Conditions. Life (Basel) 2021; 12:life12010012. [PMID: 35054406 PMCID: PMC8781782 DOI: 10.3390/life12010012] [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: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The waters that were present on early Mars may have been habitable. Characterising environments analogous to these waters and investigating the viability of their microbes under simulated martian chemical conditions is key to developing hypotheses on this habitability and potential biosignature formation. In this study, we examined the viability of microbes from the Anderton Brine Springs (United Kingdom) under simulated martian chemistries designed to simulate the chemical conditions of water that may have existed during the Hesperian. Associated changes in the fluid chemistries were also tested using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The tested Hesperian fluid chemistries were shown to be habitable, supporting the growth of all of the Anderton Brine Spring isolates. However, inter and intra-generic variation was observed both in the ability of the isolates to tolerate more concentrated fluids and in their impact on the fluid chemistry. Therefore, whilst this study shows microbes from fluctuating brines can survive and grow in simulated martian water chemistry, further investigations are required to further define the potential habitability under past martian conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kelbrick
- Biology Department, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK;
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GJ, UK
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (M.C.M.)
| | | | - Nisha K. Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Amy Dugdale
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Physical Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes W23 F2H6, UK;
- Biology Department, Maynooth University, Maynooth, W23 F2H6 Kildare, Ireland
| | - Ben P. Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Ezgi Kucukkilic-Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - Susanne P. Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
| | - André Antunes
- State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), Macau, China;
- China National Space Administration (CNSA), Macau Center for Space Exploration and Science, Macau, China
| | - Michael C. Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK; (N.K.R.); (B.P.S.); (E.K.-S.); (S.P.S.)
- Correspondence: (M.K.); (M.C.M.)
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Macey MC, Fox-Powell M, Ramkissoon NK, Stephens BP, Barton T, Schwenzer SP, Pearson VK, Cousins CR, Olsson-Francis K. The identification of sulfide oxidation as a potential metabolism driving primary production on late Noachian Mars. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10941. [PMID: 32616785 PMCID: PMC7331718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67815-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition of the martian climate from the wet Noachian era to the dry Hesperian (4.1-3.0 Gya) likely resulted in saline surface waters that were rich in sulfur species. Terrestrial analogue environments that possess a similar chemistry to these proposed waters can be used to develop an understanding of the diversity of microorganisms that could have persisted on Mars under such conditions. Here, we report on the chemistry and microbial community of the highly reducing sediment of Colour Peak springs, a sulfidic and saline spring system located within the Canadian High Arctic. DNA and cDNA 16S rRNA gene profiling demonstrated that the microbial community was dominated by sulfur oxidising bacteria, suggesting that primary production in the sediment was driven by chemolithoautotrophic sulfur oxidation. It is possible that the sulfur oxidising bacteria also supported the persistence of the additional taxa. Gibbs energy values calculated for the brines, based on the chemistry of Gale crater, suggested that the oxidation of reduced sulfur species was an energetically viable metabolism for life on early Mars.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Macey
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK.
| | - M Fox-Powell
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, Irvine Building, St Andrews, UK
| | - N K Ramkissoon
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - B P Stephens
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - T Barton
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - S P Schwenzer
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - V K Pearson
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - C R Cousins
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, Irvine Building, St Andrews, UK
| | - K Olsson-Francis
- AstrobiologyOU, Faculty of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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