Project description:<p>Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are unique ecosystems that may release chemically distinct dissolved organic matter to the deep ocean. Here, we describe the composition and concentrations of polar dissolved organic compounds observed in low and high temperature hydrothermal vent fluids at 9°50′N on the East Pacific Rise. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon was 46 µM in the low temperature hydrothermal fluids and 14 µM in the high temperature hydrothermal fluids. In the low temperature vent fluids, quantifiable dissolved organic compounds were dominated by water-soluble vitamins and amino acids. Derivatives of benzoic acid and the organic sulfur compound 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) were also present in low and high temperature hydrothermal fluids. The low temperature vent fluids contain organic compounds that are central to biological processes, suggesting that they are a by-product of biological activity in the subseafloor. These compounds may fuel heterotrophic and other metabolic processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and beyond.</p>
Project description:This data set was downloaded from MetaboLights (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/metabolights/) accession number MTBLS428 Abstract:"Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are unique ecosystems that may provide chemically distinct dissolved organic matter to the deep ocean. Here, we describe the types and concentrations of polar dissolved organic compounds observed at low and high temperature hydrothermal vents at 9°50’N, the East Pacific Rise. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon was 46 µM in the low temperature hydrothermal fluids and 14 µM in the high temperature hydrothermal fluids. In the low temperature vent fluids, identifiable dissolved organic compounds were dominated by water-soluble vitamins and amino acids. Derivatives of benzoic acid and the organic sulfur compound 2,3-dihydroxypropane-1-sulfonate (DHPS) were also present in low and high temperature hydrothermal fluids. Thus, low temperature vent fluids contain organic compounds that are central to biological processes, suggesting that they are a by-product of subseafloor biological activity. These compounds may fuel heterotrophic, metabolic processes at deep-sea hydrothermal vents and beyond."
Project description:Iron-sulfur minerals such as pyrite are found in many marine benthic habitats. At deep-sea hydrothermal vent sites they occur as massive sulfide chimneys. Hydrothermal chimneys formed by mineral precipitation from reduced vent fluids upon mixing with cold oxygenated sea water. While microorganisms inhabiting actively venting chimneys and utilizing reduced compounds dissolved in the fluids for energy generation are well studied, only little is known about the microorganisms inhabiting inactive sulfide chimneys. We performed a comprehensive meta-proteogenomic analysis combined with radiometric dating to investigate the diversity and function of microbial communities found on inactive sulfide chimneys of different ages from the Manus Basin (SW Pacific). Our study sheds light on potential lifestyles and ecological niches of yet poorly described bacterial clades dominating inactive chimney communities.
Project description:Physiological and gene expression studies of deep-sea bacteria under pressure conditions similar to those experienced in their natural habitat are critical to understand growth kinetics and metabolic adaptations to in situ conditions. The Epslilonproteobacterium, Nautilia sp. strain PV1, was isolated from hydrothermal fluids released from an active deep-sea hydrothermal vent at 9°N on the East Pacific Rise. Using a high pressure/high temperature continuous culture system we established that strain PV-1 has the shortest generation time of all known piezophilic microorganisms and we investigated its protein expression pattern in response to different hydrostatic pressures. Proteomic analyses of strain PV-1 grown at 200 Bars and 5 Bars showed that pressure adaptation is not restricted only to stress response or homeoviscous adaptation, but that it is more diversified and protein specific, with a fine and variegated regulation of enzymes involved even in the same metabolic pathway. As previously reported, proteins synthesis, motility, transport and energy metabolism are all affected by pressure, although to different extents. In strain PV-1, low pressure condition seems to activate the synthesis of phage-related proteins and an overexpression of enzymes involved in central carbon metabolism.
Project description:At hydrothermal vent sites, chimneys consisting of sulfides, sulfates, and oxides are formed upon contact of reduced hydrothermal fluids with oxygenated seawater. The walls and surfaces of these chimneys are an important habitat for vent-associated microorganisms. We used community proteogenomics to investigate and compare the composition and in situ protein expression of microbial communities colonizing two actively venting hydrothermal chimneys from the Manus Basin back-arc spreading center (Papua New Guinea).
Project description:The success of turkey breeding for rapid growth rate and larger breast size has coincided with an increasing incidence of a meat quality defect described as pale, soft and exudative (PSE). We hypothesized that this defect, which is associated with an abnormally rapid rate of postmortem metabolism, derives from altered expression of genes involved in metabolic regulation. Our objective was to use deep transcriptome RNA sequence analysis (RNAseq) to identify differentially expressed genes between normal and PSE turkey breasts. Following harvest of turkey breasts (n = 43), the pH at 15 min post-slaughter and percent marinade uptake at 24h post-slaughter were determined. Breast samples were classified as normal or PSE based on marinade uptake (high = normal; low = PSE). Total RNA from samples with the highest (n=4) and lowest (n=4) marinade uptake were isolated and sequenced using the Illumina GAIIX platform. Of 21,340 gene loci discovered by RNAseq, 8480 loci completely matched the turkey reference genome, and 480 genes were differentially expressed (false discovery rate, FDR<0.05) between normal and PSE samples. Two highlights were the genes nephroblastoma overexpressed (NOV), upregulated about 38-fold and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase isoform 4 (PDK4), downregulated 14-fold in PSE samples. Pathway analysis suggested that several biological functions, including carbohydrate metabolism and energy production, were affected by meat quality. Because PDK4 regulates conversion of pyruvate to acetyl CoA, differences in regulation of oxidative metabolism may exist among turkeys. Accelerated early postmortem metabolism would result in faster pH decline in PSE meat. This hypothesis was supported by the fact that decreased expression of PDK4 was associated with lower pH in PSE samples (pH[PSE] = 5.59M-BM-10.09, pH[normal] = 5.77M-BM-10.17). The RNAseq results provided a greater molecular mechanistic understanding of development of PSE turkey, which will be a foundation for new intervention strategies to prevent development of this defect. The mRNA profiles of normal and PSE turkey breast muscle were generated by deep sequencing using Illumina GAIIx platform. Multiplexing was performed (2 samples/lane). Afterwards, difference in gene expression between normal and PSE samples were tested.