Hydrogen is an energy source for hydrothermal vent symbioses

Jillian M Petersen; Frank U Zielinski; Thomas Pape; Richard Seifert; Cristina Moraru; Rudolf Amann; Stephane Hourdez; Peter R Girguis; Scott D Wankel; Valerie Barbe; Eric Pelletier; Dennis Fink; Christian Borowski; Wolfgang Bach; Nicole Dubilier

doi:10.1038/nature10325

Hydrogen is an energy source for hydrothermal vent symbioses

Nature. 2011 Aug 10;476(7359):176-80. doi: 10.1038/nature10325.

Authors

Jillian M Petersen¹, Frank U Zielinski, Thomas Pape, Richard Seifert, Cristina Moraru, Rudolf Amann, Stephane Hourdez, Peter R Girguis, Scott D Wankel, Valerie Barbe, Eric Pelletier, Dennis Fink, Christian Borowski, Wolfgang Bach, Nicole Dubilier

Affiliation

¹ Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Celsiusstrasse 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.

PMID: 21833083
DOI: 10.1038/nature10325

Abstract

The discovery of deep-sea hydrothermal vents in 1977 revolutionized our understanding of the energy sources that fuel primary productivity on Earth. Hydrothermal vent ecosystems are dominated by animals that live in symbiosis with chemosynthetic bacteria. So far, only two energy sources have been shown to power chemosynthetic symbioses: reduced sulphur compounds and methane. Using metagenome sequencing, single-gene fluorescence in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, shipboard incubations and in situ mass spectrometry, we show here that the symbionts of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge use hydrogen to power primary production. In addition, we show that the symbionts of Bathymodiolus mussels from Pacific vents have hupL, the key gene for hydrogen oxidation. Furthermore, the symbionts of other vent animals such as the tubeworm Riftia pachyptila and the shrimp Rimicaris exoculata also have hupL. We propose that the ability to use hydrogen as an energy source is widespread in hydrothermal vent symbioses, particularly at sites where hydrogen is abundant.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Atlantic Ocean
Bivalvia / drug effects
Bivalvia / metabolism
Bivalvia / microbiology*
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Ecosystem*
Energy Metabolism*
Geologic Sediments / chemistry
Gills / drug effects
Gills / metabolism
Gills / microbiology
Hot Springs / chemistry*
Hot Springs / microbiology
Hydrogen / analysis
Hydrogen / metabolism*
Hydrogen / pharmacology
Hydrogenase / genetics
Hydrogenase / metabolism
Molecular Sequence Data
Oxidation-Reduction
Partial Pressure
Seawater / chemistry
Seawater / microbiology
Sulfides / metabolism
Sulfur / metabolism
Symbiosis / drug effects
Symbiosis / genetics
Symbiosis / physiology*

Substances

Sulfides
Sulfur
Hydrogen
Hydrogenase

Associated data

GENBANK/FR851255
GENBANK/FR851256
GENBANK/FR851257
GENBANK/FR851258
GENBANK/FR851259
GENBANK/FR851260
GENBANK/FR851261
GENBANK/FR851262
GENBANK/FR851263
GENBANK/FR851264
GENBANK/FR851265
GENBANK/FR851266
GENBANK/FR851267
GENBANK/FR851268
GENBANK/FR851269
GENBANK/FR851270
GENBANK/FR851271
GENBANK/FR851272
GENBANK/FR851273
GENBANK/FR851274