Predicted shifts in bacterial and algal contributions to DMSP and DMS dynamics during a coastal spring–summer bloom

Zhu, Xiaoyu, Hopkins, Frances E., Airs, Ruth, Widdicombe, Claire E., Wilkinson, Bethany, Tarran, Glen A., Woodward, E. Malcolm S., Carrion, Ornella, Curson, Andrew R. J., Ma, Qianyao, Hanwell, Libby, Yang, Gui-Peng, Christie-Oleza, Joseph A., Lea-Smith, David J., Zhang, Xiao-Hua and Todd, Jonathan D. (2026) Predicted shifts in bacterial and algal contributions to DMSP and DMS dynamics during a coastal spring–summer bloom. The ISME Journal. ISSN 1751-7362 (In Press)

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Abstract

Ubiquitous marine microalgae and bacteria produce the abundant organosulfur compound dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and/or catabolise it to climate-active gases, such as dimethylsulfide (DMS), with major consequences for global biogeochemistry and climate. However, their relative and dynamic roles in DMSP synthesis and catabolism remain poorly resolved, particularly during natural bloom events. Here, we combined metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, with measurements of intracellular/particulate DMSP (DMSPp), DMS concentrations and DMSPp production rates, as well as microscopy and flow cytometry, to predict the key microbes and enzymes driving DMSP/DMS dynamics during a spring–summer bloom in the Western English Channel. Microalgae and bacteria expressing the DMSP synthesis genes DSYB/DSYE and dsyB were likely major and significant DMSP producers, respectively, except during the largest observed DMSP spike. This spike coincided with elevated Synechococcus and autotrophic flagellate biomass but minimal DMSP synthesis gene expression. Axenic Synechococcus strains contained no detectable DMSP, implying flagellates with novel DMSP synthesis genes were likely responsible. Microbial DMSP import potential far exceeded catabolism, suggesting strong selection for DMSP uptake. Bacteria were the major predicted DMSP degraders, with DMSP demethylation potential dwarfing cleavage. However, the highest DMS concentrations were linked to Haptophyta expressing the DMSP lyase gene Alma, implying the significance of algal DMSP cleavage. Methanethioldependent DMS production was also likely important, with bacterial mddH transcripts coinciding with another major DMS spike. Overall, these results imply dynamic and contrasting roles of microalgae and bacteria, and their pathways, in coastal DMSP/DMS and sulfur cycling.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Data availability: Raw reads of metagenomes, 16S rRNA gene amplicons, and metatranscriptomes are available at NCBI under the project accessions PRJNA901156, PRJNA901154, and PRJNA901170, respectively. All source data used in this work are available at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19770266)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	dmsp synthesis genes,dmsp-producing microalgae and bacteria,coastal dmsp cycling,microalgal blooms,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Science University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Molecular Microbiology Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Wolfson Centre for Advanced Environmental Microbiology
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	11 Jun 2026 13:20
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2026 13:20
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/103373
DOI:	issn:1751-7362

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