Active anaerobic methane oxidation and sulfur disproportionation in the deep terrestrial subsurface.

ABSTRACT: Microbial life is widespread in the terrestrial subsurface and present down to several kilometers depth, but the energy sources that fuel metabolism in deep oligotrophic and anoxic environments remain unclear. In the deep crystalline bedrock of the Fennoscandian Shield at Olkiluoto, Finland, opposing gradients of abiotic methane and ancient seawater-derived sulfate create a terrestrial sulfate-methane transition zone (SMTZ). We used chemical and isotopic data coupled to genome-resolved metaproteogenomics to demonstrate active life and, for the first time, provide direct evidence of active anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) in a deep terrestrial bedrock. Proteins from Methanoperedens (formerly ANME-2d) are readily identifiable despite the low abundance (≤1%) of this genus and confirm the

SUBMITTER: Bell E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9123182 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature