Nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms encoded in prokaryotic communities associated with sea ice algae

Christopher m. Bellas; Karley Campbell; Martyn Tranter; Patricia Sánchez-Baracaldo

doi:10.1038/s43705-023-00337-2

Nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms encoded in prokaryotic communities associated with sea ice algae

Christopher m. Bellas, Karley Campbell, Martyn Tranter, Patricia Sánchez-Baracaldo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

Abstract

Sea ice habitats harbour seasonally abundant microalgal communities, which can be highly productive in the spring when the availability of light increases. An active, bloom-associated prokaryotic community relies on these microalgae for their organic carbon requirements, however an analysis of the encoded metabolic pathways within them is lacking. Hence, our understanding of biogeochemical cycling within sea ice remains incomplete. Here, we generated metagenomic assembled genomes from the bottom of first-year sea ice in northwestern Hudson Bay, during a spring diatom bloom. We show that the prokaryotic community had the metabolic potential to degrade algal derived dimethylsulphoniopropionate and oxidise sulfur. Facultative anaerobic metabolisms, specifically, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification were also prevalent here, suggesting some sea ice prokaryotes are metabolically capable of adapting to fluctuating oxygen levels during algal bloom conditions. Such denitrification could be an important loss of fixed-N2 in the changing Arctic marine system.

Original language	English
Number of pages	5
Journal	ISME Communications
Volume	3
Issue number	131
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-023-00337-2
Publication status	Published - 11 Dec 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Field work and logistics were supported via collaborative contributions from the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network of Centres of Excellence (MEOPAR-NCE) for the Southampton Island Marine Ecosystem Project (SIMEP), an NSERC-matched grant for the 2017-2018 Belmont Forum and BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals under the BiodivScen ERA-Net CO-FUND programme to the project ACCES: De-icing of Arctic Coasts (Critical or new opportunities for marine biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). Support was also provided from an ArcticNet National Centres of Excellence grant, as well as NSERC Discovery Grants and Northern Research Supplement to CJ Mundy, Jens Ehn and Zou Zou Kuzyk. This work is a contribution to the Diatom ARCTIC project (NE/R012849/1; 03F0810A), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean program, jointly funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the German Federal Ministry of Education (BMBF). It is also a contribution to the Research Council of Norway BREATHE (Bottom sea ice Respiration and nutrient Exchanges Assessed for THE Arctic) project (325405). Support was also provided to K. Campbell through the MICRO NutriENT project funded by the UK Arctic Office’s UK-Canada Arctic Partnership: Bursary Programme. C. Bellas was also supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF P-34620). P. Sanchez- Baracaldo was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship.

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.

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10.1038/s43705-023-00337-2Licence: CC BY

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Changing Arctic Ocean Grant, Diatom Autecological Responses to Changes in Ice Cover
Sanchez-Baracaldo, P. (Principal Investigator)
1/02/18 → 30/03/21
Project: Research
Autecological responses of sea ice diatoms to changes in the Arctic marine system
Tranter, M. (Principal Investigator)
1/02/18 → 31/12/21
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms encoded in prokaryotic communities associated with sea ice algae",

abstract = "Sea ice habitats harbour seasonally abundant microalgal communities, which can be highly productive in the spring when the availability of light increases. An active, bloom-associated prokaryotic community relies on these microalgae for their organic carbon requirements, however an analysis of the encoded metabolic pathways within them is lacking. Hence, our understanding of biogeochemical cycling within sea ice remains incomplete. Here, we generated metagenomic assembled genomes from the bottom of first-year sea ice in northwestern Hudson Bay, during a spring diatom bloom. We show that the prokaryotic community had the metabolic potential to degrade algal derived dimethylsulphoniopropionate and oxidise sulfur. Facultative anaerobic metabolisms, specifically, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification were also prevalent here, suggesting some sea ice prokaryotes are metabolically capable of adapting to fluctuating oxygen levels during algal bloom conditions. Such denitrification could be an important loss of fixed-N2 in the changing Arctic marine system.",

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note = "Funding Information: Field work and logistics were supported via collaborative contributions from the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network of Centres of Excellence (MEOPAR-NCE) for the Southampton Island Marine Ecosystem Project (SIMEP), an NSERC-matched grant for the 2017-2018 Belmont Forum and BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals under the BiodivScen ERA-Net CO-FUND programme to the project ACCES: De-icing of Arctic Coasts (Critical or new opportunities for marine biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). Support was also provided from an ArcticNet National Centres of Excellence grant, as well as NSERC Discovery Grants and Northern Research Supplement to CJ Mundy, Jens Ehn and Zou Zou Kuzyk. This work is a contribution to the Diatom ARCTIC project (NE/R012849/1; 03F0810A), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean program, jointly funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the German Federal Ministry of Education (BMBF). It is also a contribution to the Research Council of Norway BREATHE (Bottom sea ice Respiration and nutrient Exchanges Assessed for THE Arctic) project (325405). Support was also provided to K. Campbell through the MICRO NutriENT project funded by the UK Arctic Office{\textquoteright}s UK-Canada Arctic Partnership: Bursary Programme. C. Bellas was also supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF P-34620). P. Sanchez- Baracaldo was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2023.",

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N1 - Funding Information: Field work and logistics were supported via collaborative contributions from the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network of Centres of Excellence (MEOPAR-NCE) for the Southampton Island Marine Ecosystem Project (SIMEP), an NSERC-matched grant for the 2017-2018 Belmont Forum and BiodivERsA joint call for research proposals under the BiodivScen ERA-Net CO-FUND programme to the project ACCES: De-icing of Arctic Coasts (Critical or new opportunities for marine biodiversity and Ecosystem Services). Support was also provided from an ArcticNet National Centres of Excellence grant, as well as NSERC Discovery Grants and Northern Research Supplement to CJ Mundy, Jens Ehn and Zou Zou Kuzyk. This work is a contribution to the Diatom ARCTIC project (NE/R012849/1; 03F0810A), part of the Changing Arctic Ocean program, jointly funded by the UKRI Natural Environment Research Council and the German Federal Ministry of Education (BMBF). It is also a contribution to the Research Council of Norway BREATHE (Bottom sea ice Respiration and nutrient Exchanges Assessed for THE Arctic) project (325405). Support was also provided to K. Campbell through the MICRO NutriENT project funded by the UK Arctic Office’s UK-Canada Arctic Partnership: Bursary Programme. C. Bellas was also supported by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF P-34620). P. Sanchez- Baracaldo was supported by a Royal Society University Research Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.

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N2 - Sea ice habitats harbour seasonally abundant microalgal communities, which can be highly productive in the spring when the availability of light increases. An active, bloom-associated prokaryotic community relies on these microalgae for their organic carbon requirements, however an analysis of the encoded metabolic pathways within them is lacking. Hence, our understanding of biogeochemical cycling within sea ice remains incomplete. Here, we generated metagenomic assembled genomes from the bottom of first-year sea ice in northwestern Hudson Bay, during a spring diatom bloom. We show that the prokaryotic community had the metabolic potential to degrade algal derived dimethylsulphoniopropionate and oxidise sulfur. Facultative anaerobic metabolisms, specifically, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification were also prevalent here, suggesting some sea ice prokaryotes are metabolically capable of adapting to fluctuating oxygen levels during algal bloom conditions. Such denitrification could be an important loss of fixed-N2 in the changing Arctic marine system.

AB - Sea ice habitats harbour seasonally abundant microalgal communities, which can be highly productive in the spring when the availability of light increases. An active, bloom-associated prokaryotic community relies on these microalgae for their organic carbon requirements, however an analysis of the encoded metabolic pathways within them is lacking. Hence, our understanding of biogeochemical cycling within sea ice remains incomplete. Here, we generated metagenomic assembled genomes from the bottom of first-year sea ice in northwestern Hudson Bay, during a spring diatom bloom. We show that the prokaryotic community had the metabolic potential to degrade algal derived dimethylsulphoniopropionate and oxidise sulfur. Facultative anaerobic metabolisms, specifically, dissimilatory nitrate reduction and denitrification were also prevalent here, suggesting some sea ice prokaryotes are metabolically capable of adapting to fluctuating oxygen levels during algal bloom conditions. Such denitrification could be an important loss of fixed-N2 in the changing Arctic marine system.

U2 - 10.1038/s43705-023-00337-2

DO - 10.1038/s43705-023-00337-2

M3 - Article (Academic Journal)

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VL - 3

JO - ISME Communications

JF - ISME Communications

IS - 131

ER -

Nitrogen and sulfur metabolisms encoded in prokaryotic communities associated with sea ice algae

Abstract

Bibliographical note

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Projects

Changing Arctic Ocean Grant, Diatom Autecological Responses to Changes in Ice Cover

Autecological responses of sea ice diatoms to changes in the Arctic marine system

Cite this