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Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...
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Sulfur is a vital element in Earth's biogeochemical systems. It transitions through various inorganic states, including sulfate (SO₄²⁻), elemental sulfur (S⁰), and sulfide (S²⁻). Abiotic and biological mechanisms across oxic and anoxic environments intricately mediate these transformations. Sulfate, the most oxidized form of sulfur, is predominantly stored in rocks, marine sediments, and oceanic waters, acting as a long-term reservoir in the global sulfur...
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Organisms exhibit remarkable metabolic diversity, categorized based on how they acquire energy and carbon. These strategies enable survival in various ecological niches and are essential for maintaining energy flow and nutrient cycling within ecosystems.Energy and Carbon SourcesOrganisms are classified as phototrophs or chemotrophs based on energy acquisition. Phototrophs use light as their energy source, while chemotrophs rely on oxidizing chemical compounds. Further differentiation arises...
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Establishment of Microbial Eukaryotic Enrichment Cultures from a Chemically Stratified Antarctic Lake and Assessment of Carbon Fixation Potential
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Carbon fixation by basalt-hosted microbial communities.

Beth N Orcutt1, Jason B Sylvan2, Daniel R Rogers3

  • 1Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences East Boothbay, ME, USA ; University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|October 7, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Microbial life in oceanic crust can fix carbon, with seafloor basalts showing significant carbon incorporation. This autotrophy contributes organic matter to this vast, understudied marine ecosystem.

Keywords:
basaltbiogeochemistrycarbon fixationdeep biospheregeomicrobiologymicrobial ecologyocean crust

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Area of Science:

  • Geomicrobiology
  • Marine Biology
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Oceanic crust represents a vast, largely unexplored habitat for microbial life.
  • Access limitations hinder the study of microbial activity rates in this environment.
  • Understanding carbon fixation is crucial for assessing the crust's role in global carbon cycles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the potential for carbon fixation by microbes within oceanic crust.
  • To quantify carbon fixation rates in different basaltic environments.
  • To identify the biochemical pathways involved in microbial carbon fixation.

Main Methods:

  • Incubation of seafloor-exposed and subseafloor basalt samples with (13)C-labeled bicarbonate.
  • Stable carbon isotope analysis to track carbon incorporation into organic matter.
  • Functional gene analysis to identify carbon fixation pathways.

Main Results:

  • Seafloor-exposed basalts showed heterogeneous incorporation of (13)C into organic matter.
  • Estimated carbon fixation rates for seafloor rocks range from 0.1-10 nmol C g(-1) rock d(-1).
  • The Calvin cycle appears to be the primary carbon fixation pathway, with contributions from other pathways.

Conclusions:

  • Empirical evidence supports autotrophy in oceanic crustal environments.
  • Basalt-hosted microbial communities can significantly contribute to organic matter production.
  • This autotrophy plays a vital role in the remote and extensive oceanic crust ecosystem.