Abstract
Microbial communities in deep subsurface environments comprise a large portion of Earth's biomass, but the metabolic activities in these habitats are largely unknown. Here the effect of CO 2 and carbonate on the microbial community of an isolated groundwater fracture zone at 180 m depth of the Outokumpu Deep Scientific Drill Hole (Finland) was tested. Outokumpu groundwater at 180 m depth contains approximately 0.45 L L -1 dissolved gas of which methane contributes 76%. CO 2, on the other hand, is scarce. The number of microbial cells with intracellular activity in the groundwater was low when examined with redox staining. Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) analyses indicated that only 1% of the microbial community stained active with the redox sensing dye in the untreated groundwater after 4 weeks of starvation. However, carbon substrate and sulfate addition increased the abundance of fluorescent cells up to 7%. CO 2 and CO 2 + sulfate activated the greatest number of microbes, especially increasing the abundance of Pseudomonas sp., which otherwise was present at only low abundance in Outokumpu. Over longer exposure time (2 months) up to 50% of the bacterial cells in the groundwater were shown to incorporate inorganic carbon from carbonate into biomass. Carbon recapture is an important feature in this ecosystem since it may decrease the rate of carbon loss in form of CO 2 released from cellular processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 846-871 |
| Number of pages | 26 |
| Journal | AIMS Microbiology |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2017 |
| MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
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Keywords
- groundwater
- crystalline bedrock
- NanoSIMS
- FACS
- methane
- sulfate
- Pseudomonas
- autotroph
- Outokumpu
Cite this
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CO2 and carbonate as substrate for the activation of the microbial community in 180 m deep bedrock fracture fluid of Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole, Finland. / Malin, Bomberg (Corresponding Author); Raulio, Mari; Jylhä, Sirpa; Mueller, Carsten W.; Höschen, Carmen; Rajala, Pauliina; Purkamo, Lotta; Kietäväinen, Riikka; Ahonen, Lasse; Itävaara, Merja.
In: AIMS Microbiology, Vol. 3, No. 4, 2017, p. 846-871.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - CO2 and carbonate as substrate for the activation of the microbial community in 180 m deep bedrock fracture fluid of Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole, Finland
AU - Malin, Bomberg
AU - Raulio, Mari
AU - Jylhä, Sirpa
AU - Mueller, Carsten W.
AU - Höschen, Carmen
AU - Rajala, Pauliina
AU - Purkamo, Lotta
AU - Kietäväinen, Riikka
AU - Ahonen, Lasse
AU - Itävaara, Merja
PY - 2017
Y1 - 2017
N2 - Microbial communities in deep subsurface environments comprise a large portion of Earth's biomass, but the metabolic activities in these habitats are largely unknown. Here the effect of CO 2 and carbonate on the microbial community of an isolated groundwater fracture zone at 180 m depth of the Outokumpu Deep Scientific Drill Hole (Finland) was tested. Outokumpu groundwater at 180 m depth contains approximately 0.45 L L -1 dissolved gas of which methane contributes 76%. CO 2, on the other hand, is scarce. The number of microbial cells with intracellular activity in the groundwater was low when examined with redox staining. Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) analyses indicated that only 1% of the microbial community stained active with the redox sensing dye in the untreated groundwater after 4 weeks of starvation. However, carbon substrate and sulfate addition increased the abundance of fluorescent cells up to 7%. CO 2 and CO 2 + sulfate activated the greatest number of microbes, especially increasing the abundance of Pseudomonas sp., which otherwise was present at only low abundance in Outokumpu. Over longer exposure time (2 months) up to 50% of the bacterial cells in the groundwater were shown to incorporate inorganic carbon from carbonate into biomass. Carbon recapture is an important feature in this ecosystem since it may decrease the rate of carbon loss in form of CO 2 released from cellular processes.
AB - Microbial communities in deep subsurface environments comprise a large portion of Earth's biomass, but the metabolic activities in these habitats are largely unknown. Here the effect of CO 2 and carbonate on the microbial community of an isolated groundwater fracture zone at 180 m depth of the Outokumpu Deep Scientific Drill Hole (Finland) was tested. Outokumpu groundwater at 180 m depth contains approximately 0.45 L L -1 dissolved gas of which methane contributes 76%. CO 2, on the other hand, is scarce. The number of microbial cells with intracellular activity in the groundwater was low when examined with redox staining. Fluorescence Assisted Cell Sorting (FACS) analyses indicated that only 1% of the microbial community stained active with the redox sensing dye in the untreated groundwater after 4 weeks of starvation. However, carbon substrate and sulfate addition increased the abundance of fluorescent cells up to 7%. CO 2 and CO 2 + sulfate activated the greatest number of microbes, especially increasing the abundance of Pseudomonas sp., which otherwise was present at only low abundance in Outokumpu. Over longer exposure time (2 months) up to 50% of the bacterial cells in the groundwater were shown to incorporate inorganic carbon from carbonate into biomass. Carbon recapture is an important feature in this ecosystem since it may decrease the rate of carbon loss in form of CO 2 released from cellular processes.
KW - groundwater
KW - crystalline bedrock
KW - NanoSIMS
KW - FACS
KW - methane
KW - sulfate
KW - Pseudomonas
KW - autotroph
KW - Outokumpu
U2 - 10.3934/microbiol.2017.4.846
DO - 10.3934/microbiol.2017.4.846
M3 - Article
C2 - 31294193
VL - 3
SP - 846
EP - 871
JO - AIMS Microbiology
JF - AIMS Microbiology
SN - 2471-1888
IS - 4
ER -