Decrypting the sulfur cycle in oceanic oxygen minimum zones.
Sean A Crowe1,2, Raymond P Cox3, CarriAyne Jones3
1Nordic Center for Earth Evolution (NordCEE), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. sean.crowe@ubc.ca.
The ISME Journal
|June 10, 2018
Summary
Anaerobic sulfide oxidizers in ocean oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) rapidly process sulfide, preventing accumulation. These microbes possess exceptionally high-affinity sulfur uptake systems, crucial for cryptic sulfur cycling.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Biogeochemistry
- Oceanography
Background:
- Ocean oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are critical habitats for cryptic sulfur cycling.
- Anaerobic sulfide-oxidizing bacteria are key players in OMZ biogeochemical processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the ecophysiology of anaerobic sulfide oxidizers in OMZs.
- To determine the capacity of these microbes to influence sulfur cycling.
Main Methods:
- Ecophysiological studies were conducted in the Chilean OMZ.
- Sulfide oxidation rates and microbial uptake kinetics were measured.
Main Results:
- Sulfide oxidation rates were rapid, even at low sulfide concentrations (<100 nM).
- Microbes exhibited high-affinity sulfur uptake systems (>10^5 g^-1 wet cells h^-1).
- These affinities are higher than previously recorded for any organism on any substrate.
Conclusions:
- Anaerobic sulfide oxidizers maintain low sulfide concentrations in OMZs, driving cryptic sulfur cycling.
- High-affinity sulfur biochemistry in these organisms may enable sulfide-based metabolisms in other environments.
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