Potential coupling of microbial methane, nitrogen, and sulphur cycling in the Okinawa Trough cold seep sediments.

ABSTRACT: The Okinawa Trough (OT) is a back-arc basin with a wide distribution of active cold seep systems. However, our understanding of the metabolic function of microbial communities in the cold seep sediments of the OT remains limited. In this study, we investigated the vertical profiles of functional genes involved in methane, nitrogen, and sulphur cycling in the cold seep sediments of the OT. Furthermore, we explored the possible coupling mechanisms between these biogeochemical cycles. The study revealed that the majority of genes associated with the nitrogen and sulphur cycles were most abundant in the surface sediment layers. However, only the key genes responsible for sulphur disproportionation (sor), nitrogen fixation (nifDKH), and methane metabolism (mcrABG) were more

SUBMITTER: Chen Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11237511 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature