Microbial dormancy in the marine subsurface: Global endospore abundance and response to burial

Science Advances
Lars WörmerKai-Uwe Hinrichs

Abstract

Marine sediments host an unexpectedly large microbial biosphere, suggesting unique microbial mechanisms for surviving burial and slow metabolic turnover. Although dormancy is generally considered an important survival strategy, its specific role in subsurface sediments remains unclear. We quantified dormant bacterial endospores in 331 marine sediment samples from diverse depositional types and geographical origins. The abundance of endospores relative to vegetative cells increased with burial depth and endospores became dominant below 25 m, with an estimated population of 2.5 × 1028 to 1.9 × 1029 endospores in the uppermost kilometer of sediment and a corresponding biomass carbon of 4.6 to 35 Pg surpassing that of vegetative cells. Our data further identify distinct endospore subgroups with divergent resistance to burial and aging. Endospores may shape the deep biosphere by providing a core population for colonization of new habitats and/or through low-frequency germination to sustain slow growth in this environment.

References

Oct 1, 1984·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·G Bratbak, I Dundas
Jul 1, 1997·The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery·K HwangS H Baik
Sep 7, 2000·Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews : MMBR·W L NicholsonP Setlow
Feb 2, 2002·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Chris A Francis, Bradley M Tebo
May 1, 1960·Journal of Bacteriology·L J RODE, J W FOSTER
Nov 7, 2003·Origins of Life and Evolution of the Biosphere : the Journal of the International Society for the Study of the Origin of Life·Wayne L Nicholson
Feb 16, 2006·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Fumio InagakiBo B Jørgensen
Jul 12, 2007·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·Jörg FichtelHenrik Sass
Aug 30, 2008·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·John C FryGordon Webster
Oct 11, 2008·Science·Dylan ChivianTullis C Onstott
Jan 15, 2011·Nature Reviews. Microbiology·Jay T Lennon, Stuart E Jones
Oct 12, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yuki MoronoFumio Inagaki
Oct 28, 2011·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Bo Barker Jørgensen
Mar 1, 2012·Frontiers in Microbiology·Katja FichtelBert Engelen
Mar 1, 2012·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·S BuergerS S Epstein
Jul 27, 2012·The ISME Journal·Júlia Rosa de RezendeBo Barker Jørgensen
Jul 31, 2012·Systematic and Applied Microbiology·Tatsuhiko Hoshino, Fumio Inagaki
Aug 29, 2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jens KallmeyerSteven D'Hondt
Feb 4, 2014·Journal of Bacteriology·Peter Setlow
Dec 5, 2014·Environmental Microbiology Reports·Mikihiko KawaiFumio Inagaki
Mar 11, 2015·Environmental Microbiology Reports·Tina WunderlinPilar Junier
May 15, 2015·Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal·Sevasti FilippidouPilar Junier
May 23, 2015·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Mark A LeverBo Barker Jørgensen
Jul 20, 2017·Scientific Reports·Stefan BraunBente Aa Lomstein
Oct 25, 2017·Nature Microbiology·William D OrsiWarren R Francis
Oct 29, 2017·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Elizabeth Trembath-ReichertVictoria J Orphan
May 23, 2018·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Yinon M Bar-OnRon Milo
Aug 18, 2018·The ISME Journal·Tatsuhiko Hoshino, Fumio Inagaki

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 24, 2020·Environmental Microbiology·Bo Barker JørgensenIan P G Marshall
Aug 23, 2019·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·Renxing LiangTullis C Onstott
Mar 24, 2020·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·K J LoceyJ T Lennon
Jul 30, 2020·Nature Communications·Yuki MoronoFumio Inagaki
Oct 21, 2020·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tatsuhiko HoshinoFumio Inagaki
Dec 3, 2020·Environmental Microbiology·Jayne E RattrayCasey R J Hubert
Dec 22, 2020·Environmental Microbiology·Beth N OrcuttElizabeth Trembath-Reichert
Feb 5, 2021·FEMS Microbiology Reviews·Clara Ruiz-GonzálezJordi Garcia-Orellana
Jul 30, 2021·Ecology Letters·Nathan I Wisnoski, Jay T Lennon
Aug 12, 2021·Nature Communications·Jay T LennonJochen Blath
Aug 14, 2021·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·William R ShoemakerJay T Lennon

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Methods Mentioned

BETA
flow cytometry

Software Mentioned

SigmaPlot
GMT

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cell Aging (Keystone)

This feed focuses on cellular aging with emphasis on the mitochondria, autophagy, and metabolic processes associated with aging and longevity. Here is the latest research on cell aging.