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A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane

Author

Listed:
  • Antje Boetius

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Katrin Ravenschlag

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Carsten J. Schubert

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Dirk Rickert

    (GEOMAR Research Center for Marine Geosciences)

  • Friedrich Widdel

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Armin Gieseke

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Rudolf Amann

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Bo Barker Jørgensen

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Ursula Witte

    (Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology)

  • Olaf Pfannkuche

    (GEOMAR Research Center for Marine Geosciences)

Abstract

A large fraction of globally produced methane is converted to CO2 by anaerobic oxidation in marine sediments1. Strong geochemical evidence for net methane consumption in anoxic sediments is based on methane profiles2, radiotracer experiments3 and stable carbon isotope data4. But the elusive microorganisms mediating this reaction have not yet been isolated, and the pathway of anaerobic oxidation of methane is insufficiently understood. Recent data suggest that certain archaea reverse the process of methanogenesis by interaction with sulphate-reducing bacteria5,6,7. Here we provide microscopic evidence for a structured consortium of archaea and sulphate-reducing bacteria, which we identified by fluorescence in situ hybridization using specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes. In this example of a structured archaeal-bacterial symbiosis, the archaea grow in dense aggregates of about 100 cells and are surrounded by sulphate-reducing bacteria. These aggregates were abundant in gas-hydrate-rich sediments with extremely high rates of methane-based sulphate reduction, and apparently mediate anaerobic oxidation of methane.

Suggested Citation

  • Antje Boetius & Katrin Ravenschlag & Carsten J. Schubert & Dirk Rickert & Friedrich Widdel & Armin Gieseke & Rudolf Amann & Bo Barker Jørgensen & Ursula Witte & Olaf Pfannkuche, 2000. "A marine microbial consortium apparently mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane," Nature, Nature, vol. 407(6804), pages 623-626, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:407:y:2000:i:6804:d:10.1038_35036572
    DOI: 10.1038/35036572
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Min Luo & Linying Chen & Hongpeng Tong & Wen Yan & Duofu Chen, 2014. "Gas Hydrate Occurrence Inferred from Dissolved Cl − Concentrations and δ 18 O Values of Pore Water and Dissolved Sulfate in the Shallow Sediments of the Pockmark Field in Southwestern Xisha Uplift, No," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Kumar, Vikas & Nabaterega, Resty & Khoei, Shiva & Eskicioglu, Cigdem, 2021. "Insight into interactions between syntrophic bacteria and archaea in anaerobic digestion amended with conductive materials," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    3. Niels Klitgord & Daniel Segrè, 2010. "Environments that Induce Synthetic Microbial Ecosystems," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(11), pages 1-17, November.
    4. Xueqin Zhang & Georgina H. Joyce & Andy O. Leu & Jing Zhao & Hesamoddin Rabiee & Bernardino Virdis & Gene W. Tyson & Zhiguo Yuan & Simon J. McIlroy & Shihu Hu, 2023. "Multi-heme cytochrome-mediated extracellular electron transfer by the anaerobic methanotroph ‘Candidatus Methanoperedens nitroreducens’," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    5. Daidai Wu & Tiantian Sun & Rui Xie & Mengdi Pan & Xuegang Chen & Ying Ye & Lihua Liu & Nengyou Wu, 2019. "Characteristics of Authigenic Minerals around the Sulfate-Methane Transition Zone in the Methane-Rich Sediments of the Northern South China Sea: Inorganic Geochemical Evidence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-18, June.
    6. Xiyang Dong & Yongyi Peng & Muhua Wang & Laura Woods & Wenxue Wu & Yong Wang & Xi Xiao & Jiwei Li & Kuntong Jia & Chris Greening & Zongze Shao & Casey R. J. Hubert, 2023. "Evolutionary ecology of microbial populations inhabiting deep sea sediments associated with cold seeps," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-13, December.
    7. Richard B. Coffin & Leila J. Hamdan & Joseph P. Smith & Paula S. Rose & Rebecca E. Plummer & Brandon Yoza & Ingo Pecher & Michael T. Montgomery, 2014. "Contribution of Vertical Methane Flux to Shallow Sediment Carbon Pools across Porangahau Ridge, New Zealand," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-25, August.
    8. Maria De La Fuente & Sandra Arndt & Héctor Marín-Moreno & Tim A. Minshull, 2022. "Assessing the Benthic Response to Climate-Driven Methane Hydrate Destabilisation: State of the Art and Future Modelling Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-32, May.
    9. Tian, Hailong & Yu, Ceting & Xu, Tianfu & Liu, Changling & Jia, Wei & Li, Yuanping & Shang, Songhua, 2020. "Combining reactive transport modeling with geochemical observations to estimate the natural gas hydrate accumulation," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    10. Heleen T. Ouboter & Rob Mesman & Tom Sleutels & Jelle Postma & Martijn Wissink & Mike S. M. Jetten & Annemiek Ter Heijne & Tom Berben & Cornelia U. Welte, 2024. "Mechanisms of extracellular electron transfer in anaerobic methanotrophic archaea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
    11. Mengxiong Wu & Jie Li & Andy O. Leu & Dirk V. Erler & Terra Stark & Gene W. Tyson & Zhiguo Yuan & Simon J. McIlroy & Jianhua Guo, 2022. "Anaerobic oxidation of propane coupled to nitrate reduction by a lineage within the class Symbiobacteriia," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Jarrod J Scott & John A Breier & George W Luther III & David Emerson, 2015. "Microbial Iron Mats at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Evidence that Zetaproteobacteria May Be Restricted to Iron-Oxidizing Marine Systems," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-19, March.
    13. Richard B. Coffin & Christopher L. Osburn & Rebecca E. Plummer & Joseph P. Smith & Paula S. Rose & Kenneth S. Grabowski, 2015. "Deep Sediment-Sourced Methane Contribution to Shallow Sediment Organic Carbon: Atwater Valley, Texas-Louisiana Shelf, Gulf of Mexico," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(3), pages 1-23, February.
    14. Tao Ye & Guangrong Jin & Daidai Wu & Lihua Liu, 2019. "Experimental and Numerical Simulation of the Formation of Cold Seep Carbonates in Marine Sediments," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-12, April.
    15. Jiafang Huang & Min Luo & Yuxiu Liu & Yuxue Zhang & Ji Tan, 2019. "Effects of Tidal Scenarios on the Methane Emission Dynamics in the Subtropical Tidal Marshes of the Min River Estuary in Southeast China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-16, August.
    16. Klaus Wallmann & Elena Pinero & Ewa Burwicz & Matthias Haeckel & Christian Hensen & Andrew Dale & Lars Ruepke, 2012. "The Global Inventory of Methane Hydrate in Marine Sediments: A Theoretical Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 5(7), pages 1-50, July.

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