Temperature and elemental sulfur shape microbial communities in two extremely acidic aquatic volcanic environments

Rojas‐Gätjens, Diego; Arce-Rodríguez, Alejandro; Puente-Sánchez, Fernando; Avendaño, Roberto; Libby, Eduardo; Mora‐Amador, Raúl; Rojas-Jiménez, Keilor; Fuentes-Schweizer, Paola; Pieper, Dietmar H.; Chavarría, Max

doi:10.1007/s00792-020-01213-w

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Microbial communities of terrestrial hot springs can develop tight mats stratified longitudinally by physicochemical gradients generated in part by their metabolism [ 6 , 7 ]. Temperature and sulfur concentrations are major drivers of the structure of these microbial communities [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. In the upper layers of non-acidic hot spring mats, oxygenic phototrophic Cyanobacteriota (former Cyanobacteria ) and anoxygenic phototrophic Chloroflexota members dominate, assimilating and utilizing sulfur as part of their metabolism [ 7 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ].…”

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confidence: 99%

Distribution and Activity of Sulfur-Metabolizing Bacteria along the Temperature Gradient in Phototrophic Mats of the Chilean Hot Spring Porcelana

et al. 2023

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In terrestrial hot springs, some members of the microbial mat community utilize sulfur chemical species for reduction and oxidization metabolism. In this study, the diversity and activity of sulfur-metabolizing bacteria were evaluated along a temperature gradient (48–69 °C) in non-acidic phototrophic mats of the Porcelana hot spring (Northern Patagonia, Chile) using complementary meta-omic methodologies and specific amplification of the aprA (APS reductase) and soxB (thiosulfohydrolase) genes. Overall, the key players in sulfur metabolism varied mostly in abundance along the temperature gradient, which is relevant for evaluating the possible implications of microorganisms associated with sulfur cycling under the current global climate change scenario. Our results strongly suggest that sulfate reduction occurs throughout the whole temperature gradient, being supported by different taxa depending on temperature. Assimilative sulfate reduction is the most relevant pathway in terms of taxonomic abundance and activity, whereas the sulfur-oxidizing system (Sox) is likely to be more diverse at low rather than at high temperatures. Members of the phylum Chloroflexota showed higher sulfur cycle-related transcriptional activity at 66 °C, with a potential contribution to sulfate reduction and oxidation to thiosulfate. In contrast, at the lowest temperature (48 °C), Burkholderiales and Acetobacterales (both Pseudomonadota, also known as Proteobacteria) showed a higher contribution to dissimilative sulfate reduction/oxidation as well as to thiosulfate metabolism. Cyanobacteriota and Planctomycetota were especially active in assimilatory sulfate reduction. Analysis of the aprA and soxB genes pointed to members of the order Burkholderiales (Gammaproteobacteria) as the most dominant and active along the temperature gradient for these genes. Changes in the diversity and activity of different sulfur-metabolizing bacteria in photoautotrophic microbial mats along a temperature gradient revealed their important role in hot spring environments, especially the main primary producers (Chloroflexota/Cyanobacteriota) and diazotrophs (Cyanobacteriota), showing that carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles are highly linked in these extreme systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distribution and Activity of Sulfur-Metabolizing Bacteria along the Temperature Gradient in Phototrophic Mats of the Chilean Hot Spring Porcelana

et al. 2023

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“…Over time, scientists have built the knowledge of extremophiles, overcoming intrinsic challenges such as the risks that are sometimes associated with sampling in extreme environments, the problems posed by the heterogeneous and dynamic nature of extreme ecosystems and the difficulties reproducing the physicochemical conditions required to cultivate these microorganisms [5][6][7]. With the development of new DNA sequencing methodologies in the 1990s, knowledge of the microbial diversity and biological processes in these environments increased exponentially; however, it also became evident that isolation was irreplaceable in order to fully characterize the physiology and behavior of microorganisms.…”

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confidence: 99%