Amino acids could sustain fungal life in the energy-limited anaerobic sediments below the seafloor.

ABSTRACT: Deep-sea sediments harbor abundant microbial communities extending vertically up to ~2.5 km below the seafloor. Despite their prevalence, the reasons for their large community sizes and low energy fluxes remain unclear. Particularly, the reliance of fungi, the predominant eukaryotic group, on amino acids in these energy-limited, anaerobic conditions is poorly understood. We investigated the role of amino acids in the growth and development of the fungus Schizophyllum commune 20R-7-F01, isolated from anaerobic sub-seafloor sediments. The fungus efficiently used all amino acids as carbon sources, and some as nitrogen sources, with specific amino acids influencing sexual reproduction and fruit-body formation. Notably, amino acids with hydrocarbon chains or methyl groups appeared crucia

SUBMITTER: Zain Ul Arifeen M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11497798 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature