Thermophilic endospores associated with migrated thermogenic hydrocarbons in deep Gulf of Mexico marine sediments

• DOI: 10.1038/s41396-018-0108-y
• Publication Date: 2018-04-04T02:11:57Z
• Authors: Anirban Chakraborty; Emily Ellefson; Carmen Li; Daniel Gittins; James M Brooks; Bernie B Bernard; Casey R J Hubert
• Keywords: Petroleum seep

Abstract Dormant endospores of thermophilic bacteria (thermospores) can be detected in cold marine sediments following high-temperature incubation. Thermospores the seabed may explained by a dispersal history originating deep biosphere oil reservoir habitats where upward migration petroleum fluids at hydrocarbon seeps transports viable cells into overlying ocean. We assessed this deep-to-shallow hypothesis through geochemical and microbiological analyses 111 from water Eastern Gulf Mexico. GC-MS fluorescence confirmed unambiguous presence thermogenic hydrocarbons 71 these locations, indicating seepage deeply sourced subsurface. Heating each sediment to 50 °C followed 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed several thermospores with cosmopolitan distribution throughout study area, as well that were more geographically restricted. Among having limited distribution, 12 OTUs eight different lineages repeatedly containing hydrocarbons. A subset significantly correlated (p < 0.05) most closely related Clostridiales previously reservoirs around world. This provides evidence ocean being dispersed out reservoirs, suggests specific used model organisms for studying warm-to-cold transmigration sea.