title: Genomic evidence for distinct carbon substrate preferences and ecological niches of Bathyarchaeota in estuarine sediments.
abstract: Investigations of the biogeochemical roles of benthic Archaea in marine sediments are hampered by the scarcity of cultured representatives. In order to determine their metabolic capacity, we reconstructed the genomic content of four widespread uncultured benthic Archaea recovered from estuary sediments at 48% to 95% completeness. Four genomic bins were found to belong to different subgroups of the former Miscellaneous Crenarcheota Group (MCG) now called Bathyarchaeota: MCG-6, MCG-1, MCG-7/17 and MCG-15. Metabolic predictions based on gene content of the different genome bins indicate that subgroup 6 has the ability to hydrolyse extracellular plant-derived carbohydrates, and that all four subgroups can degrade detrital proteins. Genes encoding enzymes involved in acetate production as well as in the reductive acetyl-CoA pathway were detected in all four genomes inferring that these Archaea are organo-heterotrophic and autotrophic acetogens. Genes involved in nitrite reduction were detected in all Bathyarchaeota subgroups and indicate a potential for dissimilatory nitrite reduction to ammonium. Comparing the genome content of the different Bathyarchaeota subgroups indicated preferences for distinct types of carbohydrate substrates and implicitly, for different niches within the sedimentary environment.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Marine Sciences, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.|Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.|Institute of Ecology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Dornburger Straße 159, 07743, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Cassandre Sara
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Austin, Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, 78383, USA.
authors.forename: Brett J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Austin, Department of Marine Science, Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas, TX, 78383, USA.
authors.forename: Kiley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Marine Sciences, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.affiliation: Organic Geochemistry Group, MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences and Department of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany.
authors.forename: Kai-Uwe
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Hinrichs
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Marine Sciences, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: Andreas P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Teske
mesh_terms: D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A / Q000378:metabolism; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism / Q000235:genetics*; D002241:Carbohydrates; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D063366:Estuaries; D023281:Genomics; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D000105:Acetyl Coenzyme A; D002244:Carbon