Discovery of Eremiobacterota with nifH homologues in tundra soil

• Published in: Environmental Microbiology Reports
• Main Authors: Pessi, Igor, S, Delmont, Tom, O, Zehr, Jonathan, P, Hultman, Jenni
• Other Authors: Helsingin yliopisto = Helsingfors universitet = University of Helsinki, Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences Helsinki, Helsingin yliopisto = Helsingfors universitet = University of Helsinki-Helsingin yliopisto = Helsingfors universitet = University of Helsinki, Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), Génomique métabolique (UMR 8030), Genoscope - Centre national de séquençage Evry (GENOSCOPE), Université Paris-Saclay-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université d'Évry-Val-d'Essonne (UEVE)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), University of California Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz), University of California (UC), Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: CCSD 2024
• Subjects: [SDE]Environmental Sciences; Tundra
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-04776164; https://hal.science/hal-04776164v1/document; https://hal.science/hal-04776164v1/file/Environ%20Microbiol%20Rep%20-%202024%20-%20Pessi%20-%20Discovery%20of%20Eremiobacterota%20with%20nifH%20homologues%20in%20tundra%20soil.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-2229.13277

International audience We describe the genome of an Eremiobacterota population from tundra soil that contains the minimal set of nif genes needed to fix atmospheric N 2 . This putative diazotroph population, which we name Candidatus Lamibacter sapmiensis, links for the first time Eremiobacterota and N 2 fixation. The integrity of the genome and its nif genes are well supported by both environmental and taxonomic signals. Ca. Lamibacter sapmiensis contains three nifH homologues and the complementary set of nifDKENB genes that are needed to assemble a functional nitrogenase. The putative diazotrophic role of Ca. Lamibacter sapmiensis is supported by the presence of genes that regulate N 2 fixation and other genes involved in downstream processes such as ammonia assimilation. Similar to other Eremiobacterota, Ca. Lamibacter sapmiensis encodes the potential for atmospheric chemosynthesis via CO 2 fixation coupled with H 2 and CO oxidation. Interestingly, the presence of a N 2 O reductase indicates that this population could play a role as a N 2 O sink in tundra soils. Due to the lack of activity data, it remains uncertain if Ca. Lamibacter sapmiensis is able to assemble a functional nitrogenase and participate in N 2 fixation. Confirmation of this ability would be a testament to the great metabolic versatility of Eremiobacterota, which appears to underlie their ecological success in cold and oligotrophic environments.