A mechanism for bacterial transformation of dimethylsulfide to dimethylsulfoxide: a missing link in the marine organic sulfur cycle

Lidbury, Ian, Kröber, Eileen, Zhang, Zhidong, Zhu, Yijun, Murrell, J. Colin, Chen, Yin and Schäfer, Hendrik (2016) A mechanism for bacterial transformation of dimethylsulfide to dimethylsulfoxide: a missing link in the marine organic sulfur cycle. Environmental Microbiology, 18 (8). 2754–2766. ISSN 1462-2912

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Abstract

The volatile organosulfur compound, dimethylsulfide (DMS), plays an important role in climate regulation and global sulfur biogeochemical cycles. Microbial oxidation of DMS to dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) represents a major sink of DMS in surface seawater, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms and key microbial taxa involved are not known. Here, we reveal that Ruegeria pomeroyi, a model marine heterotrophic bacterium, can oxidise DMS to DMSO using trimethylamine monooxygenase (Tmm). Purified Tmm oxidises DMS to DMSO at a 1:1 ratio. Mutagenesis of the tmm gene in R. pomeroyi completely abolished DMS oxidation and subsequent DMSO formation. Expression of Tmm and DMS oxidation in R. pomeroyi is methylamine-dependent and regulated at the post-transcriptional level. Considering that Tmm is present in approximately 20% of bacterial cells inhabiting marine surface waters, particularly the marine Roseobacter clade and the SAR11 clade, our observations contribute to a mechanistic understanding of biological DMSO production in surface seawater.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	25 Apr 2016 11:35
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2023 14:40
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/58351
DOI:	10.1111/1462-2920.13354

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