Survival of the fewest: Microbial dormancy and maintenance in marine sediments through deep time.

ABSTRACT: Microorganisms buried in marine sediments are known to endure starvation over geologic timescales. However, the mechanisms of how these microorganisms cope with prolonged energy limitation is unknown and therefore yet to be captured in a quantitative framework. Here, we present a novel mathematical model that considers (a) the physiological transitions between the active and dormant states of microorganisms, (b) the varying requirement for maintenance power between these phases, and (c) flexibility in the provenance (i.e., source) of energy from exogenous and endogenous catabolism. The model is applied to sediments underlying the oligotrophic South Pacific Gyre where microorganisms endure ultra-low fluxes of energy for tens of millions of years. Good fits between model simulations and meas

SUBMITTER: Bradley JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6585783 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature