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Title: Phylogenetic and Functional Analysis of Metagenome Sequence from High-Temperature Archaeal Habitats Demonstrate Linkages between Metabolic Potential and Geochemistry

Journal Article · · Frontiers in Microbiology
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [2];  [4];  [5];  [2];  [2];  [6];  [7];  [8]
  1. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Dept. of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Thermal Biology Inst.
  2. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Dept. of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences
  3. Technical Univ. of Denmark, Hørsholm (Denmark). Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability
  4. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States). Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics
  5. USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
  6. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Thermal Biology Inst.; Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
  7. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  8. Newmont Mining Corporation, Englewood, CO (United States)

Geothermal habitats in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide an unparalleled opportunity to understand the environmental factors that control the distribution of archaea in thermal habitats. Here we describe, analyze, and synthesize metagenomic and geochemical data collected from seven high-temperature sites that contain microbial communities dominated by archaea relative to bacteria. The specific objectives of the study were to use metagenome sequencing to determine the structure and functional capacity of thermophilic archaeal-dominated microbial communities across a pH range from 2.5 to 6.4 and to discuss specific examples where the metabolic potential correlated with measured environmental parameters and geochemical processes occurring in situ. Random shotgun metagenome sequence (~40–45 Mb Sanger sequencing per site) was obtained from environmental DNA extracted from high-temperature sediments and/or microbial mats and subjected to numerous phylogenetic and functional analyses. Analysis of individual sequences (e.g., MEGAN and G + C content) and assemblies from each habitat type revealed the presence of dominant archaeal populations in all environments, 10 of whose genomes were largely reconstructed from the sequence data. Analysis of protein family occurrence, particularly of those involved in energy conservation, electron transport, and autotrophic metabolism, revealed significant differences in metabolic strategies across sites consistent with differences in major geochemical attributes (e.g., sulfide, oxygen, pH). These observations provide an ecological basis for understanding the distribution of indigenous archaeal lineages across high-temperature systems of YNP.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER). Earth and Environmental Systems Science Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1628087
Journal Information:
Frontiers in Microbiology, Vol. 4; ISSN 1664-302X
Publisher:
Frontiers Research FoundationCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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The YNP metagenome project: environmental parameters responsible for microbial distribution in the Yellowstone geothermal ecosystem journal January 2013
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Geomicrobiology of sublacustrine thermal vents in Yellowstone Lake: geochemical controls on microbial community structure and function journal October 2015
Integration of Metagenomic and Stable Carbon Isotope Evidence Reveals the Extent and Mechanisms of Carbon Dioxide Fixation in High-Temperature Microbial Communities journal February 2017
Global Microbiome Diversity Scaling in Hot Springs With DAR (Diversity-Area Relationship) Profiles journal February 2019
Pseudomonas PB1-Like Phages: Whole Genomes from Metagenomes Offer Insight into an Abundant Group of Bacteriophages journal June 2018
virMine: automated detection of viral sequences from complex metagenomic samples journal January 2019