Metagenomic insights Into the cycling of dimethylsulfoniopropionate and related molecules in the Eastern China Marginal Seas

Song, Delei, Zhang, Xiao-Hua, Liu, Ji, Zhong, Haohui, Zheng, Yanfen, Zhou, Shun, Yu, Min, Todd, Jonathan and Zhang, Xiao-Hua (2020) Metagenomic insights Into the cycling of dimethylsulfoniopropionate and related molecules in the Eastern China Marginal Seas. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. ISSN 1664-302X

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Abstract

The microbial cycling of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) and its gaseous catabolites dimethylsulfide (DMS) and methanethiol (MeSH) are important processes in the global sulfur cycle, marine microbial food webs, signaling pathways, atmospheric chemistry, and potentially climate regulation. Many functional genes have been identified and used to study the genetic potential of microbes to produce and catabolize these organosulfur compounds in different marine environments. Here, we sampled seawater, marine sediment and hydrothermal sediment, and polymetallic sulfide in the eastern Chinese marginal seas and analyzed their microbial communities for the genetic potential to cycle DMSP, DMS, and MeSH using metagenomics. DMSP was abundant in all sediment samples, but was fivefold less prominent in those from hydrothermal samples. Indeed, Yellow Sea (YS) sediment samples had DMSP concentrations two orders of magnitude higher than in surface water samples. Bacterial genetic potential to synthesize DMSP (mainly in Rhodobacteraceae bacteria) was far higher than for phytoplankton in all samples, but particularly in the sediment where no algal DMSP synthesis genes were detected. Thus, we propose bacteria as important DMSP producers in these marine sediments. DMSP catabolic pathways mediated by the DMSP lyase DddP (prominent in Pseudomonas and Mesorhizobium bacteria) and DMSP demethylase DmdA enzymes (prominent in Rhodobacteraceae bacteria) and MddA-mediated MeSH S-methylation were very abundant in Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea sediments (BYSS) samples. In contrast, the genetic potential for DMSP degradation was very low in the hydrothermal sediment samples—dddP was the only catabolic gene detected and in only one sample. However, the potential for DMS production from MeSH (mddA) and DMS oxidation (dmoA and ddhA) was relatively abundant. This metagenomics study does not provide conclusive evidence for DMSP cycling; however, it does highlight the potential importance of bacteria in the synthesis and catabolism of DMSP and related compounds in diverse sediment environments.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Copyright © 2020 Song, Zhang, Liu, Zhong, Zheng, Zhou, Yu, Todd and Zhang.
Uncontrolled Keywords: dmsp,organosulfur cycling,metagenomics,dms,marine sediment,dimethyl sulfide,gas dimethylsulfide,sulfur,dmsp-lyase,metagenome,methyl mercaptan oxidase,yellow sea,sulfur cycle,dimethylsulfoxide reductase,methanethiol,missing link,marginal seas,dimethylsulphoniopropionate,sdg 13 - climate action,sdg 14 - life below water ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Science > School of Biological Sciences
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Molecular Microbiology
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 06 Mar 2020 08:57
Last Modified: 25 Oct 2023 01:09
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/74451
DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00157

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