Comprehensive comparison of taxonomic composition and metabolic functioning in oxygenic and anoxygenic microbial mats of Yellowstone hot springs
EMSL Project ID
49715
Abstract
This proposal focuses on comparing a rare, but evolutionarily important, modern laminated microbial mat formed exclusively by anoxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms and a well-studied mat formed by oxygenic cyanobacteria, in Yellowstone hot springs. The different organisms inhabiting these mats have different pathways for fixing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and thus impart unique carbon isotopic fractionation signatures on mats and biomarkers. Metagenomic analyses would be used to identify the predominant taxa and to infer their functional potential. Hypotheses formulated from these patterns would be tested using (i) metametabolomic analyses of diel patterns of metabolite abundances in mat biomass and the intercellular milieu, and (ii) metaproteomic analyses coupled with stable-isotope probing (SIP) to associate uptake of 13C-labeled substrates (e.g., DIC, organic compounds) with the specific taxa. Pulse-chase labeling would be used to track exchange of metabolic intermediates among taxa. The goal is to provide a detailed biochemical model of anoxygenic and oxygenic mats that could guide interpretation of the geochemical signatures that might be associated with the most ancient microbial mats.
Project Details
Start Date
2017-01-25
End Date
2019-09-30
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator
Co-Investigator(s)
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