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Direct linking of microbial populations to specific biogeochemical processes by 13C-labelling of biomarkers

Direct linking of microbial populations to specific biogeochemical processes by 13C-labelling of... Recent advances in the application of molecular genetic approaches have emphasized our potentially huge underestimate of microbial diversity in a range of natural environments 1 . These approaches, however, give no direct information about the biogeochemical processes in which microorganisms are active 2 . Here we describe an approach to directly link specific environmental microbial processes with the organisms involved, based on the stable-carbon-isotope labelling of individual lipid biomarkers. We demonstrate this approach in aquatic sediments and provide evidence for the identity of the bacteria involved in two important biogeochemical processes: sulphate reduction coupled to acetate oxidation in estuarine and brackish sediments 3 , 4 , and methane oxidation in a freshwater sediment 5 . Our results suggest that acetate added in a 13C-labelled form was predominantly consumed by sulphate-reducing bacteria similar to the Gram-positive Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans and not by a population of the more widely studied Gram-negative Desulfobacter spp. Furthermore, 13C-methane labelling experiments suggest that type I methanotrophic bacteria dominate methane oxidation at the freshwater site. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Nature Springer Journals

Direct linking of microbial populations to specific biogeochemical processes by 13C-labelling of biomarkers

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References (32)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 by Macmillan Magazines Ltd.
Subject
Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary; Science, multidisciplinary
ISSN
0028-0836
eISSN
1476-4687
DOI
10.1038/33900
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Recent advances in the application of molecular genetic approaches have emphasized our potentially huge underestimate of microbial diversity in a range of natural environments 1 . These approaches, however, give no direct information about the biogeochemical processes in which microorganisms are active 2 . Here we describe an approach to directly link specific environmental microbial processes with the organisms involved, based on the stable-carbon-isotope labelling of individual lipid biomarkers. We demonstrate this approach in aquatic sediments and provide evidence for the identity of the bacteria involved in two important biogeochemical processes: sulphate reduction coupled to acetate oxidation in estuarine and brackish sediments 3 , 4 , and methane oxidation in a freshwater sediment 5 . Our results suggest that acetate added in a 13C-labelled form was predominantly consumed by sulphate-reducing bacteria similar to the Gram-positive Desulfotomaculum acetoxidans and not by a population of the more widely studied Gram-negative Desulfobacter spp. Furthermore, 13C-methane labelling experiments suggest that type I methanotrophic bacteria dominate methane oxidation at the freshwater site.

Journal

Nature – Springer Journals

Published: Apr 23, 1998

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