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Title: Comparative metagenomics of hydrocarbon and methane seeps of the Gulf of Mexico

Abstract

Oil and gas percolate profusely through the sediments of the Gulf of Mexico, leading to numerous seeps at the seafloor, where complex microbial, and sometimes animal communities flourish. Sediments from three areas (two cold seeps with contrasting hydrocarbon composition and a site outside any area of active seepage) of the Gulf of Mexico were investigated and compared. Consistent with the existence of a seep microbiome, a distinct microbial community was observed in seep areas compared to sediment from outside areas of active seepage. The microbial community from sediments without any influence from hydrocarbon seepage was characterized by Planctomycetes and the metabolic potential was consistent with detrital marine snow degradation. By contrast, in seep samples with methane as the principal hydrocarbon, methane oxidation by abundant members of ANME-1 was likely the predominant process. Seep samples characterized by fluids containing both methane and complex hydrocarbons, were characterized by abundant Chloroflexi (Anaerolinaceae) and deltaproteobacterial lineages and exhibited potential for complex hydrocarbon degradation. These different metabolic capacities suggested that microorganisms in cold seeps can potentially rely on other processes beyond methane oxidation and that the hydrocarbon composition of the seep fluids may be a critical factor structuring the seafloor microbial community composition and function.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7]; ORCiD logo [4]
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Newcastle Univ., Newcastle Upon Tyne (United Kingdom); Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
  2. Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., Houston, TX (United States); USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
  3. Institut national de la recherche agronomique (INRA), Montferrier-sur-Lez (France). Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations (CBGP)
  4. Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
  5. Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Rijswijk (Netherlands)
  6. USDOE Joint Genome Institute (JGI), Walnut Creek, CA (United States)
  7. Newcastle Univ., Newcastle Upon Tyne (United Kingdom)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1543776
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Scientific Reports
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 1; Journal ID: ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Vigneron, Adrien, Alsop, Eric B., Cruaud, Perrine, Philibert, Gwenaelle, King, Benjamin, Baksmaty, Leslie, Lavallée, David, P. Lomans, Bartholomeus, Kyrpides, Nikos C., Head, Ian M., and Tsesmetzis, Nicolas. Comparative metagenomics of hydrocarbon and methane seeps of the Gulf of Mexico. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16375-5.
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Vigneron, Adrien, Alsop, Eric B., Cruaud, Perrine, Philibert, Gwenaelle, King, Benjamin, Baksmaty, Leslie, Lavallée, David, P. Lomans, Bartholomeus, Kyrpides, Nikos C., Head, Ian M., & Tsesmetzis, Nicolas. Comparative metagenomics of hydrocarbon and methane seeps of the Gulf of Mexico. United States. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16375-5.
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Vigneron, Adrien, Alsop, Eric B., Cruaud, Perrine, Philibert, Gwenaelle, King, Benjamin, Baksmaty, Leslie, Lavallée, David, P. Lomans, Bartholomeus, Kyrpides, Nikos C., Head, Ian M., and Tsesmetzis, Nicolas. Wed . "Comparative metagenomics of hydrocarbon and methane seeps of the Gulf of Mexico". United States. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16375-5. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1543776.
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@article{osti_1543776,
title = {Comparative metagenomics of hydrocarbon and methane seeps of the Gulf of Mexico},
author = {Vigneron, Adrien and Alsop, Eric B. and Cruaud, Perrine and Philibert, Gwenaelle and King, Benjamin and Baksmaty, Leslie and Lavallée, David and P. Lomans, Bartholomeus and Kyrpides, Nikos C. and Head, Ian M. and Tsesmetzis, Nicolas},
abstractNote = {Oil and gas percolate profusely through the sediments of the Gulf of Mexico, leading to numerous seeps at the seafloor, where complex microbial, and sometimes animal communities flourish. Sediments from three areas (two cold seeps with contrasting hydrocarbon composition and a site outside any area of active seepage) of the Gulf of Mexico were investigated and compared. Consistent with the existence of a seep microbiome, a distinct microbial community was observed in seep areas compared to sediment from outside areas of active seepage. The microbial community from sediments without any influence from hydrocarbon seepage was characterized by Planctomycetes and the metabolic potential was consistent with detrital marine snow degradation. By contrast, in seep samples with methane as the principal hydrocarbon, methane oxidation by abundant members of ANME-1 was likely the predominant process. Seep samples characterized by fluids containing both methane and complex hydrocarbons, were characterized by abundant Chloroflexi (Anaerolinaceae) and deltaproteobacterial lineages and exhibited potential for complex hydrocarbon degradation. These different metabolic capacities suggested that microorganisms in cold seeps can potentially rely on other processes beyond methane oxidation and that the hydrocarbon composition of the seep fluids may be a critical factor structuring the seafloor microbial community composition and function.},
doi = {10.1038/s41598-017-16375-5},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
number = 1,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {11}
}
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DOI:  10.1038/s41598-017-16375-5
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