Versatile nitrate-respiring heterotrophs are previously concealed contributors to sulfur cycle.

ABSTRACT: Heterotrophic denitrifiers play crucial roles in global carbon and nitrogen cycling. However, their inability to oxidize sulfide renders them vulnerable to this toxic molecule, which inhibits the key enzymatic reaction responsible for reducing nitrous oxide (N₂O), thereby raising greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we applied microcosm incubations, community-isotope-corrected DNA stable-isotope probing, and metagenomics to characterize a cohort of heterotrophic denitrifiers in estuarine sediments that thrive by coupling sulfur oxidation with denitrification through chemolithoheterotrophic metabolism. Remarkably, ecophysiology experiments from enrichments demonstrate that such heterotrophs expedite denitrification with sulfur acting as alternative electron sources and substantially c

SUBMITTER: Shao B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11782648 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature