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  4. Active lithoautotrophic and methane-oxidizing microbial community in an anoxic, sub-zero, and hypersaline High Arctic spring
 
research article

Active lithoautotrophic and methane-oxidizing microbial community in an anoxic, sub-zero, and hypersaline High Arctic spring

Magnuson, Elisse
•
Altshuler, Ianina  
•
Fernandez-Martinez, Miguel A.
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April 8, 2022
Isme Journal

Lost Hammer Spring, located in the High Arctic of Nunavut, Canada, is one of the coldest and saltiest terrestrial springs discovered to date. It perennially discharges anoxic (<1 ppm dissolved oxygen), sub-zero (similar to-5 degrees C), and hypersaline (similar to 24% salinity) brines from the subsurface through up to 600 m of permafrost. The sediment is sulfate-rich (1 M) and continually emits gases composed primarily of methane (similar to 50%), making Lost Hammer the coldest known terrestrial methane seep and an analog to extraterrestrial habits on Mars, Europa, and Enceladus. A multi-omics approach utilizing metagenome, metatranscriptome, and single-amplified genome sequencing revealed a rare surface terrestrial habitat supporting a predominantly lithoautotrophic active microbial community driven in part by sulfide-oxidizing Gammaproteobacteria scavenging trace oxygen. Genomes from active anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea (ANME-1) showed evidence of putative metabolic flexibility and hypersaline and cold adaptations. Evidence of anaerobic heterotrophic and fermentative lifestyles were found in candidate phyla DPANN archaea and CG03 bacteria genomes. Our results demonstrate Mars-relevant metabolisms including sulfide oxidation, sulfate reduction, anaerobic oxidation of methane, and oxidation of trace gases (H-2, CO2) detected under anoxic, hypersaline, and sub-zero ambient conditions, providing evidence that similar extant microbial life could potentially survive in similar habitats on Mars.

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Type
research article
DOI
10.1038/s41396-022-01233-8
Web of Science ID

WOS:000781186000001

Author(s)
Magnuson, Elisse
Altshuler, Ianina  
Fernandez-Martinez, Miguel A.
Chen, Ya-Jou
Maggiori, Catherine
Goordial, Jacqueline
Whyte, Lyle G.
Date Issued

2022-04-08

Published in
Isme Journal
Volume

16

Start page

1798

End page

1808

Subjects

Ecology

•

Microbiology

•

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

•

Microbiology

•

axel-heiberg island

•

anaerobic oxidation

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methanotrophic archaea

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sulfur oxidation

•

degrees-c

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seep

•

bacteria

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halothiobacillus

•

diversity

•

reduction

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

Available on Infoscience
April 25, 2022
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/187328
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