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Microbial lipids reveal carbon assimilation patterns on hydrothermal sulfide chimneys
Author(s) -
Reeves Eoghan P.,
Yoshinaga Marcos Y.,
Pjevac Petra,
Goldenstein Nadine I.,
Peplies Jörg,
Meyerdierks Anke,
Amann Rudolf,
Bach Wolfgang,
Hinrichs KaiUwe
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12525
Subject(s) - biology , microbial population biology , carbon fixation , hydrothermal vent , carbon fibers , heterotroph , assimilation (phonology) , hydrothermal circulation , environmental chemistry , botany , bacteria , photosynthesis , chemistry , paleontology , materials science , composite number , composite material , linguistics , philosophy
Summary Sulfide ‘chimneys’ characteristic of seafloor hydrothermal venting are diverse microbial habitats. 13 C / 12 C ratios of microbial lipids have rarely been used to assess carbon assimilation pathways on these structures, despite complementing gene‐ and culture‐based approaches. Here, we integrate analyses of the diversity of intact polar lipids ( IPL ) and their side‐chain δ 13 C values (δ 13 C lipid ) with 16S r RNA gene‐based phylogeny to examine microbial carbon flow on active and inactive sulfide structures from the M anus B asin. Surficial crusts of active structures, dominated by E psilonproteobacteria , yield bacterial δ 13 C lipid values higher than biomass δ 13 C (total organic carbon), implicating autotrophy via the reverse tricarboxylic acid cycle. Our data also suggest δ 13 C lipid values vary on individual active structures without accompanying microbial diversity changes. Temperature and/or dissolved substrate effects – likely relating to variable advective–diffusive fluxes to chimney exteriors – may be responsible for differing 13 C fractionation during assimilation. In an inactive structure, δ 13 C lipid values lower than biomass δ 13 C and a distinctive IPL and 16S r RNA gene diversity suggest a shift to a more diverse community and an alternate carbon assimilation pathway after venting ceases. We discuss here the potential of IPL and δ 13 C lipid analyses to elucidate carbon flow in hydrothermal structures when combined with other molecular tools.