Dehalogenation Activities and Distribution of Reductive Dehalogenase Homologous Genes in Marine Subsurface Sediments

• DOI: 10.1128/aem.01124-09
• Publication Date: 2009-09-12T01:27:54Z
• Authors: Taiki Futagami; Yuki Morono; Takeshi Terada; Anna H. Kaksonen; Fumio Inagaki
• Keywords: Geologic Sediments; 0303 health sciences; Pacific Ocean; Molecular Sequence Data; Sequence Homology; DNA; Sequence Analysis, DNA; 16. Peace & justice; Enzymes; Trichloroethylene; Oregon; 03 medical and health sciences; Japan; Phenols; 13. Climate action; Peru; Cluster Analysis; Metagenomics; 14. Life underwater; Cloning, Molecular; Phylogeny

ABSTRACT

Halogenated organic compounds serve as terminal electron acceptors for anaerobic respiration in a diverse range of microorganisms. Here, we report on the widespread distribution and diversity of reductive dehalogenase homologous ( rdhA ) genes in marine subsurface sediments. A total of 32 putative rdhA phylotypes were detected in sediments from the southeast Pacific off Peru, the eastern equatorial Pacific, the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank off Oregon, and the northwest Pacific off Japan, collected at a maximum depth of 358 m below the seafloor. In addition, significant dehalogenation activity involving 2,4,6-tribromophenol and trichloroethene was observed in sediment slurry from the Nankai Trough Forearc Basin. These results suggest that dehalorespiration is an important energy-yielding pathway in the subseafloor microbial ecosystem.