Sulfur isotope fractionation during the evolutionary adaptation of a sulfate-reducing bacterium.

ABSTRACT: Dissimilatory sulfate reduction is a microbial catabolic pathway that preferentially processes less massive sulfur isotopes relative to their heavier counterparts. This sulfur isotope fractionation is recorded in ancient sedimentary rocks and generally is considered to reflect a phenotypic response to environmental variations rather than to evolutionary adaptation. Modern sulfate-reducing microorganisms isolated from similar environments can exhibit a wide range of sulfur isotope fractionations, suggesting that adaptive processes influence the sulfur isotope phenotype. To date, the relationship between evolutionary adaptation and isotopic phenotypes has not been explored. We addressed this by studying the covariation of fitness, sulfur isotope fractionation, and growth characteristics in D

SUBMITTER: Pellerin A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4375314 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature