The enigma of prokaryotic life in deep hypersaline anoxic basins

Paul W.J.J. Van Der Wielen; Henk Bolhuis; Sara Borin; Daniele Daffonchio; Cesare Corselli; Laura Giuliano; Giuseppe D'Auria; Gert J. De Lange; Andreas Huebner; Sotirios P. Varnavas; John Thomson; Christian Tamburini; Danielle Marty; Terry J. McGenity; Kenneth N. Timmis

doi:10.1126/science.1103569

The enigma of prokaryotic life in deep hypersaline anoxic basins

Paul W.J.J. Van Der Wielen^*, Henk Bolhuis, Sara Borin, Daniele Daffonchio, Cesare Corselli, Laura Giuliano, Giuseppe D'Auria, Gert J. De Lange, Andreas Huebner, Sotirios P. Varnavas, John Thomson, Christian Tamburini, Danielle Marty, Terry J. McGenity, Kenneth N. Timmis

^*Corresponding author for this work

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

220 Scopus citations

Abstract

Deep hypersaline anoxic basins in the Mediterranean Sea are a legacy of dissolution of ancient subterranean salt deposits from the Miocene period. Our study revealed that these hypersaline basins are not biogeochemical dead ends, but support in situ sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and heterotrophic activity. A wide diversity of prokaryotes was observed, including a new, abundant, deeply branching order within the Euryarchaeota. Furthermore, we demonstrated the presence of a unique, metabolically active microbial community in the Discovery basin, which is one of the most extreme terrestrial saline environments known, as it is almost saturated with MgCl₂ (5 M).

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	121-123
Number of pages	3
Journal	SCIENCE
Volume	307
Issue number	5706
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103569
State	Published - Jan 7 2005
Externally published	Yes

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Van Der Wielen, P. W. J. J., Bolhuis, H., Borin, S., Daffonchio, D., Corselli, C., Giuliano, L., D'Auria, G., De Lange, G. J., Huebner, A., Varnavas, S. P., Thomson, J., Tamburini, C., Marty, D., McGenity, T. J., & Timmis, K. N. (2005). The enigma of prokaryotic life in deep hypersaline anoxic basins. SCIENCE, 307(5706), 121-123. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1103569

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abstract = "Deep hypersaline anoxic basins in the Mediterranean Sea are a legacy of dissolution of ancient subterranean salt deposits from the Miocene period. Our study revealed that these hypersaline basins are not biogeochemical dead ends, but support in situ sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and heterotrophic activity. A wide diversity of prokaryotes was observed, including a new, abundant, deeply branching order within the Euryarchaeota. Furthermore, we demonstrated the presence of a unique, metabolically active microbial community in the Discovery basin, which is one of the most extreme terrestrial saline environments known, as it is almost saturated with MgCl2 (5 M).",

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AU - Van Der Wielen, Paul W.J.J.

AU - Bolhuis, Henk

AU - Borin, Sara

AU - Daffonchio, Daniele

AU - Corselli, Cesare

AU - Giuliano, Laura

AU - D'Auria, Giuseppe

AU - De Lange, Gert J.

AU - Huebner, Andreas

AU - Varnavas, Sotirios P.

AU - Thomson, John

AU - Tamburini, Christian

AU - Marty, Danielle

AU - McGenity, Terry J.

AU - Timmis, Kenneth N.

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AB - Deep hypersaline anoxic basins in the Mediterranean Sea are a legacy of dissolution of ancient subterranean salt deposits from the Miocene period. Our study revealed that these hypersaline basins are not biogeochemical dead ends, but support in situ sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, and heterotrophic activity. A wide diversity of prokaryotes was observed, including a new, abundant, deeply branching order within the Euryarchaeota. Furthermore, we demonstrated the presence of a unique, metabolically active microbial community in the Discovery basin, which is one of the most extreme terrestrial saline environments known, as it is almost saturated with MgCl2 (5 M).

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The enigma of prokaryotic life in deep hypersaline anoxic basins

Abstract

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