Overlooked role of heterotrophic prokaryotes in sulfur oxidation makes the sediment of the Bohai Sea a sufficient sink of hydrogen sulfide.

ABSTRACT: Marine sediments are the active sites for the biogeochemical cycling of sulfur. Sulfate is used as a major terminal electron acceptor for the anaerobic oxidation of organic compounds in deep sediments, and the produced sulfide is normally oxidized back to sulfate in upper sediments. However, it is unclear which microorganisms, metabolic pathways, and enzymes are mainly involved in oxidation. Here, we used metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and the testing of sulfide, thiosulfate, and sulfite oxidation in sediment samples to figure out how sulfide is oxidized in the Bohai Sea sediments. Surprisingly, sulfur oxidation is widespread in the microbial community (>67.1%) of mostly heterotrophic prokaryotes across 44 phyla, dominated by Proteobacteria. Known chemolithotrophic sulfur oxidizers wer

SUBMITTER: Chen Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12345210 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature