Abstract
Green sulfur bacteria (GSB) (Chlorobiaceae) are primary producers that are important in global carbon and sulfur cycling in natural environments. An almost complete genome sequence for a single, dominant GSB species (‘C-Ace’) was assembled from shotgun sequence data of an environmental sample taken from the O2–H2S interface of the water column of Ace Lake, Antarctica. Approximately 34 Mb of DNA sequence data were assembled into nine scaffolds totaling 1.79 Mb, representing approximately 19-fold coverage for the C-Ace composite genome. A high level (∼31%) of metaproteomic coverage was achieved using matched biomass. The metaproteogenomic approach provided unique insight into the protein complement required for dominating the microbial community under cold, nutrient-limited, oxygen-limited and extremely varied annual light conditions. C-Ace shows physiological traits that promote its ability to compete very effectively with other GSB and gain dominance (for example, specific bacteriochlorophylls, mechanisms of cold adaptation) as well as a syntrophic relationship with sulfate-reducing bacteria that provides a mechanism for the exchange of sulfur compounds. As a result we are able to propose an explanation of the active biological processes promoted by cold-adapted GSB and the adaptive strategies they use to thrive under the severe physiochemical conditions prevailing in polar environments.
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Acknowledgements
We thank John Bowman, Louise (Cromer) Newman, Anthony Hull, John Rich and Martin Riddle in providing helpful discussion and logistical support associated with the Antarctic expedition. Special thanks to Karla Heidelberg for genuine assistance in initiating genome sequencing and for assistance with sampling design, and Ken Nealson for critically reviewing the paper. We also thank the reviewers for very insightful comments. The work of the Australian contingent was supported by the Australian Research Council and the Australian Antarctic Division. Mass spectrometric results were obtained at the Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility within the Analytical Centre of the University of New South Wales. This work was undertaken using infrastructure provided by NSW Government co-investment in the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Scheme. Subsidized access to this facility is gratefully acknowledged. The work of JCVI members was supported by funding provided from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
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Ng, C., DeMaere, M., Williams, T. et al. Metaproteogenomic analysis of a dominant green sulfur bacterium from Ace Lake, Antarctica. ISME J 4, 1002–1019 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2010.28
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