Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring
ABSTRACT The Lost Hammer (LH) Spring is the coldest and saltiest terrestrial spring discovered to date and is characterized by perennial discharges at subzero temperatures (−5�C), hypersalinity (salinity, 24%), and reducing (≈−165 mV), microoxic, and oligotrophic conditions. It is rich in sulfates...
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crasmicro:10.1128/aem.00153-13 2024-09-15T18:30:11+00:00 Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring Lay, Chih-Ying Mykytczuk, Nadia C. S. Yergeau, �tienne Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume Greer, Charles W. Whyte, Lyle G. 2013 http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00153-13 https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.00153-13 en eng American Society for Microbiology https://journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license Applied and Environmental Microbiology volume 79, issue 12, page 3637-3648 ISSN 0099-2240 1098-5336 journal-article 2013 crasmicro https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00153-13 2024-07-29T04:09:29Z ABSTRACT The Lost Hammer (LH) Spring is the coldest and saltiest terrestrial spring discovered to date and is characterized by perennial discharges at subzero temperatures (−5�C), hypersalinity (salinity, 24%), and reducing (≈−165 mV), microoxic, and oligotrophic conditions. It is rich in sulfates (10.0%, wt/wt), dissolved H 2 S/sulfides (up to 25 ppm), ammonia (≈381 μM), and methane (11.1 g day −1 ). To determine its total functional and genetic potential and to identify its active microbial components, we performed metagenomic analyses of the LH Spring outlet microbial community and pyrosequencing analyses of the cDNA of its 16S rRNA genes. Reads related to Cyanobacteria (19.7%), Bacteroidetes (13.3%), and Proteobacteria (6.6%) represented the dominant phyla identified among the classified sequences. Reconstruction of the enzyme pathways responsible for bacterial nitrification/denitrification/ammonification and sulfate reduction appeared nearly complete in the metagenomic data set. In the cDNA profile of the LH Spring active community, ammonia oxidizers ( Thaumarchaeota ), denitrifiers ( Pseudomonas spp.), sulfate reducers ( Desulfobulbus spp.), and other sulfur oxidizers ( Thermoprotei ) were present, highlighting their involvement in nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Stress response genes for adapting to cold, osmotic stress, and oxidative stress were also abundant in the metagenome. Comparison of the composition of the functional community of the LH Spring to metagenomes from other saline/subzero environments revealed a close association between the LH Spring and another Canadian high-Arctic permafrost environment, particularly in genes related to sulfur metabolism and dormancy. Overall, this study provides insights into the metabolic potential and the active microbial populations that exist in this hypersaline cryoenvironment and contributes to our understanding of microbial ecology in extreme environments. Article in Journal/Newspaper permafrost ASM Journals (American Society for Microbiology) Applied and Environmental Microbiology 79 12 3637 3648 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
ASM Journals (American Society for Microbiology) |
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crasmicro |
language |
English |
description |
ABSTRACT The Lost Hammer (LH) Spring is the coldest and saltiest terrestrial spring discovered to date and is characterized by perennial discharges at subzero temperatures (−5�C), hypersalinity (salinity, 24%), and reducing (≈−165 mV), microoxic, and oligotrophic conditions. It is rich in sulfates (10.0%, wt/wt), dissolved H 2 S/sulfides (up to 25 ppm), ammonia (≈381 μM), and methane (11.1 g day −1 ). To determine its total functional and genetic potential and to identify its active microbial components, we performed metagenomic analyses of the LH Spring outlet microbial community and pyrosequencing analyses of the cDNA of its 16S rRNA genes. Reads related to Cyanobacteria (19.7%), Bacteroidetes (13.3%), and Proteobacteria (6.6%) represented the dominant phyla identified among the classified sequences. Reconstruction of the enzyme pathways responsible for bacterial nitrification/denitrification/ammonification and sulfate reduction appeared nearly complete in the metagenomic data set. In the cDNA profile of the LH Spring active community, ammonia oxidizers ( Thaumarchaeota ), denitrifiers ( Pseudomonas spp.), sulfate reducers ( Desulfobulbus spp.), and other sulfur oxidizers ( Thermoprotei ) were present, highlighting their involvement in nitrogen and sulfur cycling. Stress response genes for adapting to cold, osmotic stress, and oxidative stress were also abundant in the metagenome. Comparison of the composition of the functional community of the LH Spring to metagenomes from other saline/subzero environments revealed a close association between the LH Spring and another Canadian high-Arctic permafrost environment, particularly in genes related to sulfur metabolism and dormancy. Overall, this study provides insights into the metabolic potential and the active microbial populations that exist in this hypersaline cryoenvironment and contributes to our understanding of microbial ecology in extreme environments. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lay, Chih-Ying Mykytczuk, Nadia C. S. Yergeau, �tienne Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume Greer, Charles W. Whyte, Lyle G. |
spellingShingle |
Lay, Chih-Ying Mykytczuk, Nadia C. S. Yergeau, �tienne Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume Greer, Charles W. Whyte, Lyle G. Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
author_facet |
Lay, Chih-Ying Mykytczuk, Nadia C. S. Yergeau, �tienne Lamarche-Gagnon, Guillaume Greer, Charles W. Whyte, Lyle G. |
author_sort |
Lay, Chih-Ying |
title |
Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
title_short |
Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
title_full |
Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
title_fullStr |
Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
title_full_unstemmed |
Defining the Functional Potential and Active Community Members of a Sediment Microbial Community in a High-Arctic Hypersaline Subzero Spring |
title_sort |
defining the functional potential and active community members of a sediment microbial community in a high-arctic hypersaline subzero spring |
publisher |
American Society for Microbiology |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.00153-13 https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/AEM.00153-13 |
genre |
permafrost |
genre_facet |
permafrost |
op_source |
Applied and Environmental Microbiology volume 79, issue 12, page 3637-3648 ISSN 0099-2240 1098-5336 |
op_rights |
https://journals.asm.org/non-commercial-tdm-license |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00153-13 |
container_title |
Applied and Environmental Microbiology |
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79 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
3637 |
op_container_end_page |
3648 |
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1810471648870006784 |