Metagenomes from high-temperature chemotrophic systems reveal geochemical controls on microbial community structure and function
The Yellowstone caldera contains the most numerous and diverse geothermal systems on Earth, yielding an extensive array of unique high-temperature environments that host numerous deeply-rooted and understudied Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. The combination of extreme temperature and chemical conditions encountered in geothermal environments often results in considerably less microbial diversity than other terrestrial habitats and offers a tremendous opportunity for studying the structure and function of indigenous microbial communities and for establishing linkages between putative metabolisms and element cycling. Metagenome sequence (14-15,000 Sanger reads per site) was obtained for five high-temperature (> 65 oC) chemotrophic microbial communities sampled from geothermal springs (or pools) in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) that exhibit a wide range in geochemistry including pH, dissolved sulfide, dissolved O2 and ferrous Fe. Metagenome data revealed significant differences in the predominant phyla associated with each of these geochemical environments. Novel members of the Sulfolobales are dominant in low pH environments, while other Crenarchaeota including distantly-related Thermoproteales and Desulfurococcales populations dominate in suboxic sulfidic sediments. Several novel archaeal groups are well represented in an acidic (pH 3) Fe-oxyhydroxide mat, where a higher O2 influx is accompanied with an increase in archaeal diversity. The presence or absence of genes and pathways important in S oxidation-reduction, H2-oxidation, and aerobic respiration (terminal oxidation) provide insight regarding the metabolic strategies of indigenous organisms present in geothermal systems. Multiple-pathway and protein-specific functional analysis of metagenome sequence data corroborated results from phylogenetic analyses and clearly demonstrate major differences in metabolic potential across sites. The distribution of functional genes involved in electron transport is consistent with the hypothesis that geochemical parameters (e.g., pH, sulfide, Fe, O2) control microbial community structure and function in YNP geothermal springs.
- Research Organization:
- Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC07-05ID14517
- OSTI ID:
- 977190
- Report Number(s):
- INL/JOU-10-18335; TRN: US201010%%26
- Journal Information:
- Public Library of Science (PLoS) One, Vol. 5, Issue 3
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
BACTERIA
CALDERAS
COMMUNITIES
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRONS
FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS
FUNCTIONALS
GENES
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
HYPOTHESIS
OXIDATION
RESPIRATION
SEDIMENTS
TRANSPORT
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
chemotrophic
metagenome
microbial
Yellowstone