Bioenergetic characterization of a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent system: Milos Island, Greece

Lu, Guang-Sin; LaRowe, Douglas E.; Fike, David A.; Druschel, Gregory K.; Gilhooly, William P.; Price, Roy E.; Amend, Jan P.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234175

Cited by 17 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 76 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The first deep sea hydrothermal vents of the ~700 now known [ 118 ], the ‘black smokers’, were discovered in 1977 on the mid-ocean ridge of the East Pacific Rise [ 119 ]. Lying far below the photic zone at a depth of 2500 m the research team was stunned to find a rich community of organisms.…”

Section: The Microchamber Complex Scenariomentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Whole Organism’, Systems Biology, and Top-Down Criteria for Evaluating Scenarios for the Origin of Life

Brunk

Marshall

2021

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While most advances in the study of the origin of life on Earth (OoLoE) are piecemeal, tested against the laws of chemistry and physics, ultimately the goal is to develop an overall scenario for life’s origin(s). However, the dimensionality of non-equilibrium chemical systems, from the range of possible boundary conditions and chemical interactions, renders the application of chemical and physical laws difficult. Here we outline a set of simple criteria for evaluating OoLoE scenarios. These include the need for containment, steady energy and material flows, and structured spatial heterogeneity from the outset. The Principle of Continuity, the fact that all life today was derived from first life, suggests favoring scenarios with fewer non-analog (not seen in life today) to analog (seen in life today) transitions in the inferred first biochemical pathways. Top-down data also indicate that a complex metabolism predated ribozymes and enzymes, and that full cellular autonomy and motility occurred post-LUCA. Using these criteria, we find the alkaline hydrothermal vent microchamber complex scenario with a late evolving exploitation of the natural occurring pH (or Na+ gradient) by ATP synthase the most compelling. However, there are as yet so many unknowns, we also advocate for the continued development of as many plausible scenarios as possible.

show abstract

Section: The Microchamber Complex Scenariomentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Whole Organism’, Systems Biology, and Top-Down Criteria for Evaluating Scenarios for the Origin of Life

Brunk

Marshall

2021

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The variety and, in many cases, versatility of chemotrophs to obtain energy from many different redox couples that result from geochemical and atmospheric processes continues to amaze. For example, an evaluation of the Gibbs energy for 730 redox reactions among 23 inorganic reactants (from 8 elements: CHNOS plus Fe, Mn, As) possible in a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent found that almost one-half were exergonic reactions [81]. Intricate syntrophic relationships between communities also allows for the extensive exploitation of multiple sources of latent chemical energy in the environment.…”

Section: Energy Sourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities

Clark

Kolb

Steele

et al. 2021

Life

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Although the habitability of early Mars is now well established, its suitability for conditions favorable to an independent origin of life (OoL) has been less certain. With continued exploration, evidence has mounted for a widespread diversity of physical and chemical conditions on Mars that mimic those variously hypothesized as settings in which life first arose on Earth. Mars has also provided water, energy sources, CHNOPS elements, critical catalytic transition metal elements, as well as B, Mg, Ca, Na and K, all of which are elements associated with life as we know it. With its highly favorable sulfur abundance and land/ocean ratio, early wet Mars remains a prime candidate for its own OoL, in many respects superior to Earth. The relatively well-preserved ancient surface of planet Mars helps inform the range of possible analogous conditions during the now-obliterated history of early Earth. Continued exploration of Mars also contributes to the understanding of the opportunities for settings enabling an OoL on exoplanets. Favoring geochemical sediment samples for eventual return to Earth will enhance assessments of the likelihood of a Martian OoL.

show abstract

“…By directly sequencing the 16S rRNA, Price et al (2013b) investigated the microbial diversity at two sites with differing hydrothermal fluid composition caused by phase separation. A model that considers seawater mixing with hydrothermal fluids revealed that there is up to ∼50 times more energy available for microorganisms that can use S 0 or H 2 S as electron donors and NO 2 − or O 2 as electron acceptors compared to other reactions (Lu et al, 2020). Using sulfide and sulfate isotopic composition, Houghton et al (2019) found sulfide oxidation predominating in hydrothermally affected areas, whereas active sulfate reduction was evident within the transition zone.…”

Section: Aegean Islands (Greece)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Submarine Shallow-Water Fluid Emissions and Their Geomicrobiological Imprint: A Global Overview

Caramanna¹,

Sievert

Bühring

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Submarine fluids emissions in the form of geothermal vents are widespread in a variety of geological settings ranging from volcanic to tectonically active areas. This overview aims to describe representative examples of submarine vents in shallow-water areas around the globe. The areas described include: Iceland, Azores, Mediterranean Sea (Italy and Greece), Caribbean, Baja California, Japan, Papua, New Zealand, Taiwan. Common and divergent characteristics in terms of origin and geochemistry of the emitted fluids and their impact on the indigenous organisms and the surrounding environment have been identified. In the hottest vents seawater concentration is common as well as some water vapor phase separation. Carbon dioxide is the most common gas often associated with compounds of sulfur and methane. In several vents precipitation of minerals can be identified in the surrounding sediments. The analyses of the microbial communities often revealed putative chemoautotrophs, with Campylobacteria abundantly present at many vents where reduced sulfur compounds are available. The techniques that can be used for the detection and quantification of underwater vents are also described, including geophysical and geochemical tools. Finally, the main geobiological effects due to the presence of the hydrothermal activity and the induced changes in water chemistry are assessed.

show abstract

Bioenergetic characterization of a shallow-sea hydrothermal vent system: Milos Island, Greece

Abstract: REP), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through the Deep Carbon Observatory (all to DEL), and the C-DEBI contribution number 529 to JPA. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Cited by 17 publications

References 76 publications

‘Whole Organism’, Systems Biology, and Top-Down Criteria for Evaluating Scenarios for the Origin of Life

‘Whole Organism’, Systems Biology, and Top-Down Criteria for Evaluating Scenarios for the Origin of Life

Origin of Life on Mars: Suitability and Opportunities

Submarine Shallow-Water Fluid Emissions and Their Geomicrobiological Imprint: A Global Overview

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About