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Title: Peatland Acidobacteria with a dissimilatory sulfur metabolism

Journal Article · · The ISME Journal
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [2];  [4];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3]; ORCiD logo [2]; ORCiD logo [5]; ORCiD logo [4];  [2];  [2];  [2];  [6]; ORCiD logo [2]
  1. Univ. of Vienna, Vienna (Austria); Univ. of Konstanz, Konstanz (Germany)
  2. Univ. of Vienna, Vienna (Austria)
  3. Aalborg Univ., Aalborg (Denmark)
  4. USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
  5. Univ. of Florida, Davie, FL (United States)
  6. Univ. of Konstanz, Konstanz (Germany); Leibniz Inst. DSMZ, Braunschweig (Germany)

Sulfur-cycling microorganisms impact organic matter decomposition in wetlands and consequently greenhouse gas emissions from these globally relevant environments. However, their identities and physiological properties are largely unknown. By applying a functional metagenomics approach to an acidic peatland, we recovered draft genomes of seven novel Acidobacteria species with the potential for dissimilatory sulfite (dsrAB, dsrC, dsrD, dsrN, dsrT, dsrMKJOP) or sulfate respiration (sat, aprBA, qmoABC plus dsr genes). Surprisingly, the genomes also encoded DsrL, which so far was only found in sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms. Metatranscriptome analysis demonstrated expression of acidobacterial sulfur-metabolism genes in native peat soil and their upregulation in diverse anoxic microcosms. This indicated an active sulfate respiration pathway, which, however, might also operate in reverse for dissimilatory sulfur oxidation or disproportionation as proposed for the sulfur-oxidizing Desulfurivibrio alkaliphilus. Acidobacteria that only harbored genes for sulfite reduction additionally encoded enzymes that liberate sulfite from organosulfonates, which suggested organic sulfur compounds as complementary energy sources. Further metabolic potentials included polysaccharide hydrolysis and sugar utilization, aerobic respiration, several fermentative capabilities, and hydrogen oxidation. Our findings extend both, the known physiological and genetic properties of Acidobacteria and the known taxonomic diversity of microorganisms with a DsrAB-based sulfur metabolism, and highlight new fundamental niches for facultative anaerobic Acidobacteria in wetlands based on exploitation of inorganic and organic sulfur molecules for energy conservation.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Univ. of California, Oakland, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23), Biological Systems Science Division (SC-23.2 )
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1543737
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1646840
Journal Information:
The ISME Journal, Vol. 12, Issue 7; ISSN 1751-7362
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 71 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Pankratov, T. A.; Kirsanova, L. A.; Kaparullina, E. N.
  • International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Vol. 62, Issue 2, p. 430-437 https://doi.org/10.1099/ijs.0.029629-0
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Cited By (9)

DsrL mediates electron transfer between NADH and rDsrAB in Allochromatium vinosum journal December 2019
The Active Sulfate-Reducing Microbial Community in Littoral Sediment of Oligotrophic Lake Constance journal February 2019
Shotgun Metagenomics Reveals the Benthic Microbial Community Response to Plastic and Bioplastic in a Coastal Marine Environment journal June 2019
Quantifying population-specific growth in benthic bacterial communities under low oxygen using H218O journal February 2019
Beyond the tip of the iceberg; a new view of the diversity of sulfite- and sulfate-reducing microorganisms journal May 2018
Glacial Runoff Promotes Deep Burial of Sulfur Cycling-Associated Microorganisms in Marine Sediments journal November 2019
The Response of Microbial Communities to Peatland Drainage and Rewetting. A Review journal October 2020
Formation of Large Native Sulfur Deposits Does Not Require Molecular Oxygen text January 2019
Differential responses of the acidobacterial community in the topsoil and subsoil to fire disturbance in Pinus tabulaeformis stands journal December 2019