Meet Me in the Middle: Median Temperatures Impact Cyanobacteria and Photoautotrophy in Eruptive Yellowstone Hot Springs

Hamilton, Trinity L.; Havig, J. R.

doi:10.1128/msystems.01450-21

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…a genetically cohesive population that occupies a slightly different ecological niche as its ancestor ( 54 )), can be generated and maintained in hot spring environments that have partially overlapping niches, either temporally or spatially ( 55–59 ). In hot springs, such ecotype variation has been observed among Synechococcus strains that have different temperature optima and/or light absorbance properties, allowing for their stable coexistence ( 55–57 , 60 ). Consequently, it is possible that the temporal dynamics of OFG and SG, in particular the splash pool of OFG (Fig.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An active microbiome in Old Faithful geyser

2023

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Natural thermal geysers are hot springs that periodically erupt liquid water, steam, and gas. They are found in only a few locations worldwide, with nearly half located in Yellowstone National Park (YNP). Old Faithful Geyser (OFG) is the most iconic in YNP and attracts millions of visitors annually. Despite extensive geophysical and hydrological study of geysers, including OFG, far less is known of the microbiology of geysed waters. Here, we report geochemical and microbiological data from geysed vent water and vent water that collects in a splash pool adjacent to OFG during eruptions. Both waters contained microbial cells and radiotracer studies showed they fixed carbon dioxide (CO2) when incubated at 70°C and 90°C. Shorter lag times in CO2 fixation activity were observed in vent and splash pool waters incubated at 90°C than 70°C, suggesting cells are better adapted or acclimated to temperatures like those in the OFG vent (∼92-93°C). 16S rDNA and metagenomic sequence data indicated that both communities are dominated by Thermocrinis, which likely fuels productivity through the aerobic oxidation of sulfide/thiosulfate in erupted waters or steam. Dominant OFG populations, including Thermocrinis and subdominant Thermus and Pyrobaculum strains, exhibited high strain level genomic diversity (putative ecotypes) relative to populations from non-geysing YNP hot springs that is attributed to the temporal chemical and temperature dynamics caused by eruptions. These findings show that OFG is habitable and that its eruption dynamics promote genomic diversity, while highlighting the need to further research the extent of life in geyser systems such as OFG.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An active microbiome in Old Faithful geyser

2023

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“…The limits of thermophily in circum-neutral pH hot springs for the Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexota are well-established from numerous studies in various regions, e.g., Nakagawa and Fukui (2002), Lau et al (2006), Miller et al (2009), and Podar et al (2020. A recent study has also identified the potential influence of thermal fluctuation on cyanobacterial fitness in hot springs (Hamilton and Havig, 2022). Both the Cyanobacteria and Chloroflexia also include known sulfide-tolerant ecotypes and this must also be viewed as an adaptive advantage in hot springs where sulfide is a common stressor: Sulfide is generally toxic to cyanobacterial primary metabolism because it inhibits cytochrome c oxidase and irreversibly affects the oxygen binding center in photosystem II (Miller and Bebout, 2004).…”

Section: Adaptation Of Phototrophic Bacteria To Hot Springsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Community structure of thermophilic photosynthetic microbial mats and flocs at Sembawang Hot Spring, Singapore

et al. 2023

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The Sembawang Hot Spring in Singapore lies at the foot of a major regional geological feature called the Bentong-Raub Suture Zone. Amid an extensively managed surface geothermal park, an undisturbed hot spring emerges with source water at 61°C, pH 6.8, and 1 mg/L dissolved sulfide. A small main pool at the source supported orange-green benthic flocs, whereas the outflow channel with gradually less extreme environmental stress supported extensive vivid green microbial mats. Microscopy revealed that cyanobacterial morphotypes were distinct in flocs and mats at several intervals along the environmental gradient, and we describe a spiraling pattern in the oscillatorian cyanobacteria that may reflect response to poly-extreme stress. Estimation of diversity using 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed assemblages that were dominated by phototrophic bacteria. The most abundant taxa in flocs at 61°C/1 mg/L sulfide were Roseiflexus sp. and Thermosynechococcus elongatus, whilst the mats at 45.7–55.3°C/0–0.5 mg/L sulfide were dominated by Oscillatoriales cyanobacterium MTP1 and Chloroflexus sp. Occurrence of diverse chemoautotrophs and heterotrophs reflected known thermal ranges for taxa, and of note was the high abundance of thermophilic cellulolytic bacteria that likely reflected the large allochthonous leaf input. A clear shift in ASV-defined putative ecotypes occurred along the environmental stress gradient of the hot spring and overall diversity was inversely correlated to environmental stress. Significant correlations for abiotic variables with observed biotic diversity were identified for temperature, sulfide, and carbonate. A network analysis revealed three putative modules of biotic interactions that also reflected the taxonomic composition at intervals along the environmental gradient. Overall, the data indicated that three distinct microbial communities were supported within a small spatial scale along the poly-extreme environmental gradient. The findings add to the growing inventory of hot spring microbiomes and address an important biogeographic knowledge gap for the region.

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“…Although the biogeographic and speciation issues of thermophilic cyanobacteria are of extraordinary interest, they have been the focus of only a minority of modern studies [15,16]. Understandably, species surviving the highest temperatures, such as "Synechococcus sp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understandably, species surviving the highest temperatures, such as "Synechococcus sp. ", have received the most attention [8][9][10][14][15][16]. Studies on simple filamentous cyanobacteria (usually referred to as Leptolyngbya spp.)…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hot Is Rich—An Enormous Diversity of Simple Trichal Cyanobacteria from Yellowstone Hot Springs

Kaštovský,

Johansen,

Hauerová

et al. 2023

Diversity

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In 2019, cyanobacterial samples were collected from thermal sites in Yellowstone National Park. In this paper, we discuss the considerable richness of representatives of simple filamentous cyanobacteria. Using a polyphasic approach, one new genus, Copelandiella, with two species (C. yellowstonensis and C. thermalis) and eight additional new species Albertania prattii, K. anagnostidisii, Kovacikia brockii, Leptolyngbya tildenae, L. vaporiphila, Nodosilinea calida, N. igneolacustris, and Oculatella castenholzii were described. At the same time, by analyzing our new molecular data, we concluded that other genera of trichal cyanobacteria can be merged with existing genera: species within the genus Plectolyngbya are herein transferred to Leptolyngbya, and if some nomenclatural issues are resolved, species within the genus Leptothermofonsia will be subsequently transferred to the genus Kovacikia, an earlier synonym.

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Meet Me in the Middle: Median Temperatures Impact Cyanobacteria and Photoautotrophy in Eruptive Yellowstone Hot Springs

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

An active microbiome in Old Faithful geyser

An active microbiome in Old Faithful geyser

Community structure of thermophilic photosynthetic microbial mats and flocs at Sembawang Hot Spring, Singapore

Hot Is Rich—An Enormous Diversity of Simple Trichal Cyanobacteria from Yellowstone Hot Springs

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