Abstract
Bacteria from the uncultured SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade of gamma proteobacterial sulfur oxidizers (GSOs) have the genetic potential to oxidize reduced sulfur and fix carbon in the tissues of clams and mussels, in oxygen minimum zones and throughout the deep ocean (>200 m). Here, we report isolation of the first cultured representative from this GSO clade. Closely related cultures were obtained from surface waters in Puget Sound and from the deep chlorophyll maximum in the North Pacific gyre. Pure cultures grow aerobically on natural seawater media, oxidize sulfur, and reach higher final cell densities when glucose and thiosulfate are added to the media. This suggests that aerobic sulfur oxidation enhances organic carbon utilization in the oceans. The first isolate from the SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade was given the provisional taxonomic assignment ‘Candidatus: Thioglobus singularis’, alluding to the clade’s known role in sulfur oxidation and the isolate’s planktonic lifestyle.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the captain, officers and crew of the RV Thompson for their assistance during 2009 and 2011 cruises. This work was supported by the University of Washington, School of Oceanography, a grant from the National Science Foundation (OCE-0723866) and the Pacific Northwest Center for Human Health and Ocean Sciences (National Institute of Environmental Health: P50 ES012762 and National Science Foundation: OCE-0434087). We also thank V Iverson for help implementing a culture classification strategy.
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Marshall, K., Morris, R. Isolation of an aerobic sulfur oxidizer from the SUP05/Arctic96BD-19 clade. ISME J 7, 452–455 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2012.78
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2012.78
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