Genomic, biochemical, and phylogenetic evaluation of bacteria isolated from deep-sea sediment harboring methane hydrates

• Published in: Archives of microbiology 2022-04, Vol.204 (4), p.205-205, Article 205
• Main Authors: Proenca, Audrey Menegaz, Oliveira, Maiara Monteiro, Neves, Paula Fernanda Ribas, Giongo, Adriana, de Oliveira, Rafael Rodrigues, Ott, Carolina Telles, Marconatto, Letícia, de Barros Neto, Halesio Milton Correa, Ketzer, João Marcelo Medina, Medina-Silva, Renata
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bacteria; Benthic communities; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Carbon; Catabolism; Cell Biology; Cold seeps; Deep sea; Earth surface; Ecology; Fluorescence; Genomics; Geologic Sediments - microbiology; Hydrates; Life Sciences; Marine sediment; Marine sediments; Mercury; Methane; Methane - metabolism; Methane hydrates; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Mikrobiologi; Ocean temperature; Ocean warming; Organic carbon; Original Paper; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Pseudomonas fluorescens; Sediments; Strains (organisms); Water circulation; Water column
• ISSN: 0302-8933; 1432-072X; 1432-072X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00203-022-02814-z

Over half of the organic carbon on Earth’s surface is trapped in marine sediment as methane hydrates. Ocean warming causes hydrate dissociation and methane leakage to the water column, rendering the characterization of microbes from hydrate depositions a pressing matter. Through genomic, phylogenetic, and biochemical assays, we characterize the first microorganisms isolated from the Rio Grande Cone (Brazil), reservoir responsible for massive methane releases to the water column. From sediment harboring rich benthic communities, we obtained 43 strains of Brevibacillus sp., Paenibacillus sp. and groups of Bacillus sp. Methane-enriched samples yielded strains of the Pseudomonas fluorescens complex, exhibiting fluorescent siderophore production and broad multi-carbon catabolism. Genomic characterization of a novel Pseudomonas sp. strain indicated 32 genes not identified in the closest related type-species, including proteins involved with mercury resistance. Our results provide phylogenetic and genomic insights on the first bacterial isolates retrieved from a poorly explored region of the South Atlantic Ocean.