Iron Sulfides Produced by Thermococcales: An Iron Detoxification Mechanism.

ABSTRACT: Thermococcales, sulfur-reducing archaea inhabiting the hottest parts of hydrothermal vents, have evolved to thrive in environments rich in iron and sulfide species. In this study, using experimental analogues of sulfur-rich hydrothermal chimneys, we confirm previous suggestions that the precipitation of iron sulfide minerals promoted by Thermococcales contributes to a population-wide adaptation to reactive species induced by the presence of high levels of iron. In parallel with mineral phases identification, cellular metabolic activity was monitored during mineralization, revealing a mechanism in which a subpopulation of cells does not survive mineralization and becomes encrusted in pyrite, while the remaining living cells exhibit a gene expression profile focused on DNA repair and metal e

SUBMITTER: Mariotte T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12827226 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature