Asgard archaea capable of anaerobic hydrocarbon cycling

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-09364-x
• Publication Date: 2019-04-23T10:04:03Z
• Authors: Kiley W. Seitz; Nina Dombrowski; Laura Eme; Anja Spang; Jonathan Lombard; Jessica R. Sieber; Andreas P. Teske; Thijs J. G. Ettema; Brett J. Baker
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Geologic Sediments; 0303 health sciences; Science; Archaeal Proteins; Oceans and Seas; Q; Microbiology; Archaea; Article; Hydrocarbons; Mikrobiologi; 03 medical and health sciences; Hydrothermal Vents; Genome, Archaeal; 13. Climate action; Life Science; Anaerobiosis; Metagenomics; 14. Life underwater; Oxidoreductases; Metabolic Networks and Pathways; Phylogeny

Abstract Large reservoirs of natural gas in the oceanic subsurface sustain complex communities anaerobic microbes, including archaeal lineages with potential to mediate oxidation hydrocarbons such as methane and butane. Here we describe a previously unknown phylum, Helarchaeota, belonging Asgard superphylum for hydrocarbon oxidation. We reconstruct Helarchaeota genomes from metagenomic data derived hydrothermal deep-sea sediments hydrocarbon-rich Guaymas Basin. The encode methyl-CoM reductase-like enzymes that are similar those found butane-oxidizing archaea, well several potentially involved alkyl-CoA Wood-Ljungdahl pathway. suggest members have activate subsequently anaerobically oxidize hydrothermally generated short-chain hydrocarbons.