A novel methoxydotrophic metabolism discovered in the hyperthermophilic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus. (5th May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Welte, Cornelia U.; de Graaf, Rob; Dalcin Martins, Paula; Jansen, Robert S.; Jetten, Mike S. M.; Kurth, Julia M.
• Other Names: Hallsworth John E. guestEditor.; Amils Ricardo guestEditor.; Benison Kathleen C. guestEditor.; Cavalazzi Barbara guestEditor.; Davila Alfonso F. guestEditor.; Madigan Michael T. guestEditor.; Selbmann Laura guestEditor.; Westall Frances guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Environmental microbiology. Volume 23:Number 7(2021)
• Page Start: 4017
• Page End: 4033
• Publication Date: 2021-05-05
• Subjects: Microbial ecology -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.17
• DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.15546
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-2912

Abstract

Summary: Methoxylated aromatic compounds (MACs) are important components of lignin found in significant amounts in the subsurface. Recently, the methanogenic archaeon Methermicoccus shengliensis was shown to be able to use a variety of MACs during methoxydotrophic growth. After a molecular survey, we found that the hyperthermophilic non‐methanogenic archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus also encodes genes for a bacterial‐like demethoxylation system. In this study, we performed growth and metabolite analysis, and used transcriptomics to investigate the response of A. fulgidus during growth on MACs in comparison to growth on lactate. We observed that A. fulgidus converts MACs to their hydroxylated derivatives with CO2 as the main product and sulfate as electron acceptor. Furthermore, we could show that MACs improve the growth of A. fulgidus in the presence of organic substrates such as lactate. We also found evidence that other archaea such as Bathyarchaeota, Lokiarchaeota, Verstraetearchaeota, Korarchaeota, Helarchaeota and Nezhaarchaeota encode a demethoxylation system. In summary, we here describe the first non‐methanogenic archaeon with the ability to grow on MACs indicating that methoxydotrophic archaea might play a so far underestimated role in the global carbon cycle.