Crystalline iron oxides stimulate methanogenic benzoate degradation in marine sediment-derived enrichment cultures.

ABSTRACT: Elevated dissolved iron concentrations in the methanic zone are typical geochemical signatures of rapidly accumulating marine sediments. These sediments are often characterized by co-burial of iron oxides with recalcitrant aromatic organic matter of terrigenous origin. Thus far, iron oxides are predicted to either impede organic matter degradation, aiding its preservation, or identified to enhance organic carbon oxidation via direct electron transfer. Here, we investigated the effect of various iron oxide phases with differing crystallinity (magnetite, hematite, and lepidocrocite) during microbial degradation of the aromatic model compound benzoate in methanic sediments. In slurry incubations with magnetite or hematite, concurrent iron reduction, and methanogenesis were stimulated during a

SUBMITTER: Aromokeye DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8115662 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature