In situ cultivation of subsurface microorganisms in a deep mafic sill: Implications for SLiMEs

B. J. Silver; Tullis C. Onstott; G. Rose; L. H. Lin; C. Ralston; B. Sherwood-Lollar; S. M. Pfiffner; T. L. Kieft; S. McCuddy

doi:10.1080/01490451003705183

In situ cultivation of subsurface microorganisms in a deep mafic sill: Implications for SLiMEs

B. J. Silver, Tullis C. Onstott, G. Rose, L. H. Lin, C. Ralston, B. Sherwood-Lollar, S. M. Pfiffner, T. L. Kieft, S. McCuddy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

An in situ culturing device was incubated within a flowing borehole in a mafic sill at 1.474 km depth in Evander Au mine, South Africa. The device was designed to enrich methanogenic, Fe³⁺-reducing and SO₄^2- -reducing microorganisms using acetate, formate, methanol, Fe³⁺-citrate and SO₄^2- - enriched agar and sand cartridges. At the end of the 33 day incubation geochemical analyses detected elevated H₂, acetate, CH₄ and Fe concentrations and depleted SO₄^2- - concentrations. 16S rDNA sequences and PLFA analyses revealed that the microbial community composition of the substrate-bearing cartridges were distinct from that of the original borehole water and the non-substrate-bearing control cartridge. 16S rDNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase, dsrAB, gene sequences indicated the device successfully targeted SO₄^2- - reducing bacteria (SRB), which were not detected in the original borehole water. 16S rDNA sequences also revealed a shift in the microbial community from one relying on H₂ based methanogenesis to one suggestive of H₂ based acetogenesis supporting aceticlastic methanogenesis and SO₄^2- - reduction compatible with the subsurface lithoautotrophic hypothesis.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	329-348
Number of pages	20
Journal	Geomicrobiology Journal
Volume	27
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/01490451003705183
State	Published - Jun 2010

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Microbiology
Environmental Chemistry
General Environmental Science
Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

Keywords

16S rDNA
Acetogenesis
Au mine
In situ microbial cultivation
Lithoautotrophic
Methanogenesis
SLiMEs
SO - reduction
South Africa
Subsurface microbial ecosystem
dsrAB

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10.1080/01490451003705183

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@article{3a1d8bd2cdc74b4089bc1b828ab8c755,

title = "In situ cultivation of subsurface microorganisms in a deep mafic sill: Implications for SLiMEs",

abstract = "An in situ culturing device was incubated within a flowing borehole in a mafic sill at 1.474 km depth in Evander Au mine, South Africa. The device was designed to enrich methanogenic, Fe3+-reducing and SO42- -reducing microorganisms using acetate, formate, methanol, Fe3+-citrate and SO42- - enriched agar and sand cartridges. At the end of the 33 day incubation geochemical analyses detected elevated H2, acetate, CH4 and Fe concentrations and depleted SO42- - concentrations. 16S rDNA sequences and PLFA analyses revealed that the microbial community composition of the substrate-bearing cartridges were distinct from that of the original borehole water and the non-substrate-bearing control cartridge. 16S rDNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase, dsrAB, gene sequences indicated the device successfully targeted SO42- - reducing bacteria (SRB), which were not detected in the original borehole water. 16S rDNA sequences also revealed a shift in the microbial community from one relying on H2 based methanogenesis to one suggestive of H2 based acetogenesis supporting aceticlastic methanogenesis and SO42- - reduction compatible with the subsurface lithoautotrophic hypothesis.",

keywords = "16S rDNA, Acetogenesis, Au mine, In situ microbial cultivation, Lithoautotrophic, Methanogenesis, SLiMEs, SO - reduction, South Africa, Subsurface microbial ecosystem, dsrAB",

author = "Silver, {B. J.} and Onstott, {Tullis C.} and G. Rose and Lin, {L. H.} and C. Ralston and B. Sherwood-Lollar and Pfiffner, {S. M.} and Kieft, {T. L.} and S. McCuddy",

note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by National Science Foundation/NASA LExEn program grant EAR-9978267 to TCO and National Science Foundation Continental Dynamics program grant EAR 0409605 to Zeev Reches, University of Oklahoma and the NASA Astrobiology Institute grant through award NNA04CC03A to the IPTAI Team co-directed by Lisa Pratt of Indiana University and TCO. Special thanks to Mark Davidson and T. J. Pray for their help in the field and to Harmony Mine geologist Peter Roberts, for logistical support. Thanks to Maria Borcsik for her assistance in the geochemical analyses and to Prof. David Balkwill of Florida State University for some of the dsrAB sequence data. We finally would like to thank Tommy J. Phelps of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for proposing this experiment and Bess Ward for comments that improved this manuscript substantially.",

year = "2010",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1080/01490451003705183",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "27",

pages = "329--348",

journal = "Geomicrobiology Journal",

issn = "0149-0451",

publisher = "Taylor and Francis Ltd.",

number = "4",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - In situ cultivation of subsurface microorganisms in a deep mafic sill

T2 - Implications for SLiMEs

AU - Silver, B. J.

AU - Onstott, Tullis C.

AU - Rose, G.

AU - Lin, L. H.

AU - Ralston, C.

AU - Sherwood-Lollar, B.

AU - Pfiffner, S. M.

AU - Kieft, T. L.

AU - McCuddy, S.

N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by National Science Foundation/NASA LExEn program grant EAR-9978267 to TCO and National Science Foundation Continental Dynamics program grant EAR 0409605 to Zeev Reches, University of Oklahoma and the NASA Astrobiology Institute grant through award NNA04CC03A to the IPTAI Team co-directed by Lisa Pratt of Indiana University and TCO. Special thanks to Mark Davidson and T. J. Pray for their help in the field and to Harmony Mine geologist Peter Roberts, for logistical support. Thanks to Maria Borcsik for her assistance in the geochemical analyses and to Prof. David Balkwill of Florida State University for some of the dsrAB sequence data. We finally would like to thank Tommy J. Phelps of Oak Ridge National Laboratory for proposing this experiment and Bess Ward for comments that improved this manuscript substantially.

PY - 2010/6

Y1 - 2010/6

N2 - An in situ culturing device was incubated within a flowing borehole in a mafic sill at 1.474 km depth in Evander Au mine, South Africa. The device was designed to enrich methanogenic, Fe3+-reducing and SO42- -reducing microorganisms using acetate, formate, methanol, Fe3+-citrate and SO42- - enriched agar and sand cartridges. At the end of the 33 day incubation geochemical analyses detected elevated H2, acetate, CH4 and Fe concentrations and depleted SO42- - concentrations. 16S rDNA sequences and PLFA analyses revealed that the microbial community composition of the substrate-bearing cartridges were distinct from that of the original borehole water and the non-substrate-bearing control cartridge. 16S rDNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase, dsrAB, gene sequences indicated the device successfully targeted SO42- - reducing bacteria (SRB), which were not detected in the original borehole water. 16S rDNA sequences also revealed a shift in the microbial community from one relying on H2 based methanogenesis to one suggestive of H2 based acetogenesis supporting aceticlastic methanogenesis and SO42- - reduction compatible with the subsurface lithoautotrophic hypothesis.

AB - An in situ culturing device was incubated within a flowing borehole in a mafic sill at 1.474 km depth in Evander Au mine, South Africa. The device was designed to enrich methanogenic, Fe3+-reducing and SO42- -reducing microorganisms using acetate, formate, methanol, Fe3+-citrate and SO42- - enriched agar and sand cartridges. At the end of the 33 day incubation geochemical analyses detected elevated H2, acetate, CH4 and Fe concentrations and depleted SO42- - concentrations. 16S rDNA sequences and PLFA analyses revealed that the microbial community composition of the substrate-bearing cartridges were distinct from that of the original borehole water and the non-substrate-bearing control cartridge. 16S rDNA and dissimilatory sulfite reductase, dsrAB, gene sequences indicated the device successfully targeted SO42- - reducing bacteria (SRB), which were not detected in the original borehole water. 16S rDNA sequences also revealed a shift in the microbial community from one relying on H2 based methanogenesis to one suggestive of H2 based acetogenesis supporting aceticlastic methanogenesis and SO42- - reduction compatible with the subsurface lithoautotrophic hypothesis.

KW - 16S rDNA

KW - Acetogenesis

KW - Au mine

KW - In situ microbial cultivation

KW - Lithoautotrophic

KW - Methanogenesis

KW - SLiMEs

KW - SO - reduction

KW - South Africa

KW - Subsurface microbial ecosystem

KW - dsrAB

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DO - 10.1080/01490451003705183

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SN - 0149-0451

VL - 27

SP - 329

EP - 348

JO - Geomicrobiology Journal

JF - Geomicrobiology Journal

IS - 4

ER -

In situ cultivation of subsurface microorganisms in a deep mafic sill: Implications for SLiMEs

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Keywords

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