Potential for Chemolithoautotrophy Among Ubiquitous Bacteria Lineages in the Dark Ocean

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 333; no. 6047; pp. 1296 - 1300
• Main Authors: Swan, Brandon K., Martinez-Garcia, Manuel, Preston, Christina M., Sczyrba, Alexander, Woyke, Tanja, Lamy, Dominique, Reinthaler, Thomas, Poulton, Nicole J., Masland, E. Dashiell P., Gomez, Monica Lluesma, Sieracki, Michael E., DeLong, Edward F., Herndl, Gerhard J., Stepanauskas, Ramunas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Association for the Advancement of Science 02-09-2011; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - genetics; ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters - metabolism; Bacteria; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Cycle; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Chemoautotrophic Growth; Darkness; Deltaproteobacteria - classification; Deltaproteobacteria - genetics; Deltaproteobacteria - growth & development; Deltaproteobacteria - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gammaproteobacteria; Gammaproteobacteria - classification; Gammaproteobacteria - genetics; Gammaproteobacteria - growth & development; Gammaproteobacteria - metabolism; Genes, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Genomes; Marine biology; Metagenome; Microbial ecology; Microorganisms; Molecular Sequence Data; Ocean bottom; Oceans; Oceans and Seas; Oxidation; Oxidation-Reduction; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Product category rules; Prokaryotes; Prokaryotic cells; Proteobacteria; Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - genetics; Sea water ecosystems; Seawater - microbiology; Sulfur; Sulfur - metabolism; Sulfur Compounds - metabolism; Synecology; Various environments (extraatmospheric space, air, water); Archaeobacteria; Chemolithotrophy; DNA; Bacteria; Ocean; Deep water; Phylogeny; Carbon; Uptake; Microbial community; Hydrogencarbonates
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.1203690

Recent studies suggest that unidentified prokaryotes fix inorganic carbon at globally significant rates in the immense dark ocean. Using single-cell sorting and whole-genome amplification of prokaryotes from two subtropical gyres, we obtained genomic DNA from 738 cells representing most cosmopolitan lineages. Multiple cells of Deltaproteobacteria cluster SAR324, Gammaproteobacteria clusters ARCTIC96BD-19 and Agg47, and some Oceanospirillales from the lower mesopelagic contained ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase and sulfur oxidation genes. These results corroborated community DNA and RNA profiling from diverse geographic regions. The SAR324 genomes also suggested C₁ metabolism and a particle-associated life-style. Microautoradiography and fluorescence in situ hybridization confirmed bicarbonate uptake and particle association of SAR324 cells. Our study suggests potential chemolithoautotrophy in several uncultured Proteobacteria lineages that are ubiquitous in the dark oxygenated ocean and provides new perspective on carbon cycling in the ocean's largest habitat.