Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Dynamics in Marine Ecosystems

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is a pivotal organosulfur metabolite synthesised by marine phytoplankton and certain bacteria, serving as an osmolyte, antioxidant and cryoprotectant. Its production and turnover underpin major biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur in the ocean. Upon release into seawater, DMSP is subject to two principal microbial pathways: demethylation, yielding methanethiol and assimilable sulfur, or lyase-mediated cleavage, liberating dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and acrylate. The balance between these routes influences DMS flux to the atmosphere, where it contributes to aerosol formation and climate regulation. Spatially and temporally, DMSP concentrations vary with phytoplankton community structure, light availability and nutrient status, while bacterial assemblages adapt enzymatic repertoires to exploit DMSP as a carbon and sulfur source. Recent advances have revealed unexpected roles for DMSP in microbial signalling, chemotaxis and stress protection under extreme conditions, highlighting its multifaceted influence on ecological interactions and elemental cycling from surface waters to deep sediments.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Marine bacteria exhibit strong chemotaxis towards high-molecular-weight algal polysaccharides, but this attraction is markedly enhanced by ambient DMSP, which acts as a methyl donor to boost gradient detection and facilitate access to nutrient-rich microzones. This synergy accelerates polymer degradation and underpins rapid carbon turnover. In the deepest ocean trenches, heterotrophic bacteria carry the dsyB gene and upregulate DMSP synthesis under increased hydrostatic pressure, indicating a protective role of DMSP against deep-sea stress and establishing bacteria as significant DMSP producers below the photic zone. Complementing DMSP research, studies of a related organosulfoxonium compound, dimethylsulfoxonium propionate (DMSOP), have uncovered widespread lyase enzymes in bacteria, fungi and algae that cleave DMSOP by mechanisms akin to those acting on DMSP. These findings point to a broader distribution of sulfonium metabolite turnover in sediments, with implications for global sulfur and carbon fluxes.

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Dynamics in Marine Ecosystems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in dimethylsulfoniopropionate dynamics in marine ecosystems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP): A sulphur-containing osmolyte produced by marine phytoplankton and bacteria, central to oceanic sulfur and carbon cycles.

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS): A volatile cleavage product of DMSP that contributes to aerosol formation and influences cloud properties and climate.

Chemotaxis: The directed movement of motile microorganisms in response to chemical gradients, critical for nutrient acquisition in marine environments.

dsyB gene: A bacterial gene encoding the enzyme responsible for synthesising DMSP, notably under high-pressure conditions in deep-sea habitats.

Methyltransferase: An enzyme class that transfers methyl groups between molecules, integral to the conversion of DMSP and its derivatives in microbial metabolism.

References

1. DMSOP-cleaving enzymes are diverse and widely distributed in marine microorganisms. Nature Microbiology (2023).
2. Strong chemotaxis by marine bacteria towards polysaccharides is enhanced by the abundant organosulfur compound DMSP. Nature Communications (2023).
3. Bacteria are important dimethylsulfoniopropionate producers in marine aphotic and high-pressure environments. Nature Communications (2020).
4. Methanolobus use unspecific methyltransferases to produce methane from dimethylsulphide in Baltic Sea sediments. Microbiome (2024).
5. Evolution of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate Metabolism in Marine Phytoplankton and Bacteria. Frontiers in Microbiology (2017).
6. Subcellular tracking reveals the location of dimethylsulfoniopropionate in microalgae and visualises its uptake by marine bacteria. eLife (2017).
7. Bacterial Catabolism of Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). Frontiers in Microbiology (2011).