Metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep–sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Kimes, Nikole E.; Callaghan, Amy V.; Aktas, Deniz F.; Smith, Whitney L.; Sunner, Jan; Golding, Bernard T.; Drozdowska, Marta; Hazen, Terry C.; Suflita, Joseph M.; Morris, Pamela J.

doi:10.3389/fmicb.2013.00050

Metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep–sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Journal Article · Fri Mar 15 04:00:00 EDT 2013 · Frontiers in Microbiology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2013.00050· OSTI ID:1628081

Kimes, Nikole E. ^[1]; Callaghan, Amy V. ^[2]; Aktas, Deniz F. ^[2]; Smith, Whitney L. ^[2]; Sunner, Jan ^[2]; Golding, Bernard T. ^[3]; Drozdowska, Marta ^[3]; Hazen, Terry C. ^[4]; Suflita, Joseph M. ^[2]; Morris, Pamela J. ^[5]

University of South Carolina, Georgetown, SC (United States); DOE/OSTI
University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne (United Kingdom)
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
University of South Carolina, Georgetown, SC (United States)

Marine subsurface environments such as deep-sea sediments, house abundant and diverse microbial communities that are believed to influence large-scale geochemical processes. These processes include the biotransformation and mineralization of numerous petroleum constituents. Thus, microbial communities in the Gulf of Mexico are thought to be responsible for the intrinsic bioremediation of crude oil released by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill. While hydrocarbon contamination is known to enrich for aerobic, oil-degrading bacteria in deep-seawater habitats, relatively little is known about the response of communities in deep-sea sediments, where low oxygen levels may hinder such a response. Here, we examined the hypothesis that increased hydrocarbon exposure results in an altered sediment microbial community structure that reflects the prospects for oil biodegradation under the prevailing conditions. We explore this hypothesis using metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep-sea sediment samples following the DWH oil spill. The presence of aerobic microbial communities and associated functional genes was consistent among all samples, whereas, a greater number of Deltaproteobacteria and anaerobic functional genes were found in sediments closest to the DWH blowout site. Metabolite profiling also revealed a greater number of putative metabolites in sediments surrounding the blowout zone relative to a background site located 127 km away. The mass spectral analysis of the putative metabolites revealed that alkylsuccinates remained below detection levels, but a homologous series of benzylsuccinates (with carbon chain lengths from 5 to 10) could be detected. Our findings suggest that increased exposure to hydrocarbons enriches for Deltaproteobacteria, which are known to be capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon metabolism. We also provide evidence for an active microbial community metabolizing aromatic hydrocarbons in deep-sea sediments of the Gulf of Mexico.

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); German Research Foundation (DFG); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

DOE Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1628081

Journal Information:: Frontiers in Microbiology, Journal Name: Frontiers in Microbiology Vol. 4; ISSN 1664-302X

Publisher:: Frontiers Research Foundation

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Metagenomic analysis and metabolite profiling of deep–sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

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