Conspicuous Smooth and White Egg-Shaped Sulfur Structures on a Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vent Formed by Sulfide-Oxidizing Bacteria

Marit R van Erk, Viola Krukenberg, Pia Bomholt Jensen, Sten Littmann, Dirk de Beer

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Conspicuous egg-shaped, white, and smooth structures were observed at a hydrothermal vent site in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. The gelatinous structures decomposed within hours after sampling. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy showed that the structure consisted of filaments of less than 0.1 mm thickness, similar to those observed for "Candidatus Arcobacter sulfidicus." SEM-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) showed that the filaments were sulfur rich. According to 16S rRNA gene amplicon and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses, Arcobacter, a sulfide oxidizer that is known to produce filamentous elemental sulfur, was among the dominant species in the structure and was likely responsible for its formation. Arcobacter normally produces woolly snowflake like structures in opposed gradients of sulfide and oxygen. In the laboratory, we observed sulfide consumption in the anoxic zone of the structure, suggesting an anaerobic conversion. The sulfide oxidation and decomposition of the structure in the laboratory may be explained by dissolution of the sulfur filaments by reaction with sulfide under formation of polysulfides.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere00955-21
JournalMicrobiology Spectrum
Volume9
Issue2
ISSN2165-0497
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2021

Keywords

  • Arcobacter
  • Hydrothermal vent
  • Sulfide oxidation
  • Sulfur filaments
  • Oceans and Seas
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Sulfur/metabolism
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics
  • In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence
  • Hydrothermal Vents/microbiology
  • Anaerobiosis/physiology
  • Sulfides/metabolism
  • Arcobacter/classification
  • Seawater/chemistry
  • Mexico

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