Diverse and significant microbe-mediated mineral transformation in deep-sea hydrothermal vent indicated by Methylophaga, Sulfitobacter and Roseovarius
- David Ojcius
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Highlights
Long-term organic-free enrichment with hydrothermal sulfide/iron-rich sediment successfully constructed diverse sulfur-oxidizing communities.
36 potential sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (including 10 novel species) were isolated from the mineral-enriched community.
Sulfitobacter sp. L-8 and Roseovarius sp. B-10 achieved 68%–93% thiosulfate consumption and mediated diverse and significant mineral transformation.
This study connects microbial sulfur-oxidizing metabolisms with sulfide weathering, expanding insights into microbial roles in sulfide mineral weathering and utilization.
SOB act as key drivers of sulfide transformation, biogeochemical cycling and energy dynamics in deep-sea hydrothermal vents ecosystems.
Abstract
Microbe-mineral interactions play a crucial role in microbial energy conservation and mineral mobilization within deep-sea hydrothermal vents, yet the specific microorganisms involved remain largely underexplored. In this study, sulfide minerals and iron-rich sediment samples from a hydrothermal field on the Indian Ocean Ridge were obtained and subjected to long-term enrichment experiments to simulate microbe-mineral interaction. Sulfur-oxidizing communities were established with 36 isolated sulfur-oxidizing bacteria (SOB). Among them, Methylophaga sp. F7, Sulfitobacter sp. L-8 and Roseovarius sp. B-10 exhibited thiosulfate oxidation capabilities. Scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) showed diverse nanoscale signatures of microbial weathering after 30 and 90 days incubation, including metal oxide particles, secondary mineral precipitates, and irregular dissolution pits. Overall, this research connects microbial sulfur-oxidizing metabolisms with morphological transformation of polymetallic sulfide minerals, highlighting the important role of SOB in mineral weathering, metal mobilization, and resource sharing on hydrothermal environments.
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