A novel, mat‐forming <i>Thiomargarita</i> population associated with a sulfidic fluid flow from a deep‐sea mud volcano

Girnth, Anne-Christin; Grünke, Stefanie; Lichtschlag, Anna; Felden, Janine; Knittel, Katrin; Wenzhöfer, Frank; Beer, Dirk de; Boetius, Antje

doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2010.02353.x

Cited by 33 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 43 publications

(83 reference statements)

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“…The size of the microbial mat patches varied from decimeters to several meters in diameter. The whitish color of the mats suggested that they consisted of thiotrophic bacteria, but the morphology of the mats differed in thickness and structure from those present at most known cold seep systems formed by large sulfur bacteria such as Beggiatoa, Thiomargarita or Thioploca [6], [15], [53], [61]. They resembled more the Arcobacter type mats known from mud volcanoes, such as of the Eastern Mediterranean [14], [62].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Methane-Carbon Flow into the Benthic Food Web at Cold Seeps – A Case Study from the Costa Rica Subduction Zone

et al. 2013

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Cold seep ecosystems can support enormous biomasses of free-living and symbiotic chemoautotrophic organisms that get their energy from the oxidation of methane or sulfide. Most of this biomass derives from animals that are associated with bacterial symbionts, which are able to metabolize the chemical resources provided by the seeping fluids. Often these systems also harbor dense accumulations of non-symbiotic megafauna, which can be relevant in exporting chemosynthetically fixed carbon from seeps to the surrounding deep sea. Here we investigated the carbon sources of lithodid crabs (Paralomis sp.) feeding on thiotrophic bacterial mats at an active mud volcano at the Costa Rica subduction zone. To evaluate the dietary carbon source of the crabs, we compared the microbial community in stomach contents with surface sediments covered by microbial mats. The stomach content analyses revealed a dominance of epsilonproteobacterial 16S rRNA gene sequences related to the free-living and epibiotic sulfur oxidiser Sulfurovum sp. We also found Sulfurovum sp. as well as members of the genera Arcobacter and Sulfurimonas in mat-covered surface sediments where Epsilonproteobacteria were highly abundant constituting 10% of total cells. Furthermore, we detected substantial amounts of bacterial fatty acids such as i-C15∶0 and C17∶1ω6c with stable carbon isotope compositions as low as −53‰ in the stomach and muscle tissue. These results indicate that the white microbial mats at Mound 12 are comprised of Epsilonproteobacteria and that microbial mat-derived carbon provides an important contribution to the crab's nutrition. In addition, our lipid analyses also suggest that the crabs feed on other 13C-depleted organic matter sources, possibly symbiotic megafauna as well as on photosynthetic carbon sources such as sedimentary detritus.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

Methane-Carbon Flow into the Benthic Food Web at Cold Seeps – A Case Study from the Costa Rica Subduction Zone

et al. 2013

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“…Based on previous experience, template was derived from the subsamples by freeze‐thawing. Replicate amplifications were conducted as previously described (Girnth et al. , 2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sequence assembly was achieved with the Sequencher 4.6 software (Gene Codes Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI, USA) and by manual inspection. Details on clone library construction with AMV flank mats were published by Girnth et al. (2011).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Niche differentiation among mat-forming, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria at cold seeps of the Nile Deep Sea Fan (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

et al. 2011

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Sulfidic muds of cold seeps on the Nile Deep Sea Fan (NDSF) are populated by different types of mat-forming sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. The predominant sulfide oxidizers of three different mats were identified by microscopic and phylogenetic analyses as (i) Arcobacter species producing cotton-ball-like sulfur precipitates, (ii) large filamentous sulfur bacteria including Beggiatoa species, and (iii) single, spherical Thiomargarita species. High resolution in situ microprofiles revealed different geochemical settings selecting for the different mat types. Arcobacter mats occurred where oxygen and sulfide overlapped above the seafloor in the bottom water interface. Filamentous sulfide oxidizers were associated with steep gradients of oxygen and sulfide in the sediment. A dense population of Thiomargarita was favored by temporarily changing supplies of oxygen and sulfide in the bottom water. These results indicate that the decisive factors in selecting for different mat-forming bacteria within one deep-sea province are spatial or temporal variations in energy supply. Furthermore, the occurrence of Arcobacter spp.-related 16S rRNA genes in the sediments below all three types of mats, as well as on top of brine lakes of the NDSF, indicates that this group of sulfide oxidizers can switch between different life modes depending on the geobiochemical habitat setting.

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“…These organisms are geographically widespread, feature extensive morphological diversity, and provide a rich platform for studying microbial evolution and physiology (Salman et al, 2013). LSB thrive in marine seeps (Larkin et al, 1994; Joye et al, 2004; Jones et al, 2015), mud volcanoes (Girnth et al, 2011), deep-sea hydrothermal systems (McKay et al, 2012), organic-rich sediments, terrestrial hydrothermal vents (Konkol et al, 2010) and sulfide springs (Caldwell et al, 1975; Nelson and Castenholz, 1981; Larkin et al, 1994; Teske, 2006; Chaudhary et al, 2009), sulfidic caves (Engel et al, 2001; Macalady et al, 2006) and phototrophic mats (Hinck et al, 2011). Although Thioploca spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Large Sulfur Bacteria in the Metagenomes of Groundwater-Fed Chemosynthetic Microbial Mats in the Lake Huron Basin

et al. 2017

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Little is known about large sulfur bacteria (LSB) that inhabit sulfidic groundwater seeps in large lakes. To examine how geochemically relevant microbial metabolisms are partitioned among community members, we conducted metagenomic analysis of a chemosynthetic microbial mat in the Isolated Sinkhole, which is in a deep, aphotic environment of Lake Huron. For comparison, we also analyzed a white mat in an artesian fountain that is fed by groundwater similar to Isolated Sinkhole, but that sits in shallow water and is exposed to sunlight. De novo assembly and binning of metagenomic data from these two communities yielded near complete genomes and revealed representatives of two families of LSB. The Isolated Sinkhole community was dominated by novel members of the Beggiatoaceae that are phylogenetically intermediate between known freshwater and marine groups. Several of these Beggiatoaceae had 16S rRNA genes that contained introns previously observed only in marine taxa. The Alpena fountain was dominated by populations closely related to Thiothrix lacustris and an SM1 euryarchaeon known to live symbiotically with Thiothrix spp. The SM1 genomic bin contained evidence of H2-based lithoautotrophy. Genomic bins of both the Thiothrix and Beggiatoaceae contained genes for sulfur oxidation via the rDsr pathway, H2 oxidation via Ni-Fe hydrogenases, and the use of O2 and nitrate as electron acceptors. Mats at both sites also contained Deltaproteobacteria with genes for dissimilatory sulfate reduction (sat, apr, and dsr) and hydrogen oxidation (Ni-Fe hydrogenases). Overall, the microbial mats at the two sites held low-diversity microbial communities, displayed evidence of coupled sulfur cycling, and did not differ largely in their metabolic potentials, despite the environmental differences. These results show that groundwater-fed communities in an artesian fountain and in submerged sinkholes of Lake Huron are a rich source of novel LSB, associated heterotrophic and sulfate-reducing bacteria, and archaea.

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A novel, mat‐forming Thiomargarita population associated with a sulfidic fluid flow from a deep‐sea mud volcano

Cited by 33 publications

References 43 publications

Methane-Carbon Flow into the Benthic Food Web at Cold Seeps – A Case Study from the Costa Rica Subduction Zone

Methane-Carbon Flow into the Benthic Food Web at Cold Seeps – A Case Study from the Costa Rica Subduction Zone

Niche differentiation among mat-forming, sulfide-oxidizing bacteria at cold seeps of the Nile Deep Sea Fan (Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

Novel Large Sulfur Bacteria in the Metagenomes of Groundwater-Fed Chemosynthetic Microbial Mats in the Lake Huron Basin

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