Stromatolites: Linking the past to the future

Stolz, John F.

doi:10.1111/1462-2920.16276

“…Microbialites are organo-sedimentary deposits formed by the metabolic activity of microbial communities that induce the precipitation of minerals and trapped sediments to form structures that can be amorphous, clotted (thrombolites) or layered (stromatolites) [ 13 ]. They are ubiquitous in the fossil record, dating back to the Archaean and Precambrian eras [ 14 – 17 ]. Extant microbialites occur in temperate (marine and freshwater) as well as extreme environments that include hypersaline lagoons [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental metabolomics characterization of modern stromatolites and annotation of ibhayipeptolides

Neuhaus,

Aron,

Isemonger

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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0

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Lithified layers of complex microbial mats known as microbialites are ubiquitous in the fossil record, and modern forms are increasingly identified globally. A key challenge to developing an understanding of microbialite formation and environmental role is how to investigate complex and diverse communities in situ. We selected living, layered microbialites (stromatolites) in a peritidal environment near Schoenmakerskop, Eastern Cape, South Africa to conduct a spatial survey mapping the composition and small molecule production of the microbial communities from environmental samples. Substrate core samples were collected from nine sampling stations ranging from the upper point of the freshwater inflow to the lower marine interface where tidal overtopping takes place. Substrate cores provided material for parallel analyses of microbial community diversity by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomics using LC–MS2. Species and metabolite diversities were correlated, and prominent specialized metabolites were targeted for preliminary characterization. A new series of cyclic hexadepsipeptides, named ibhayipeptolides, was most abundant in substrate cores of submerged microbialites. These results demonstrate the detection and identification of metabolites from mass-limited environmental samples and contribute knowledge about microbialite chemistry and biology, which facilitates future targeted studies of specialized metabolite function and biosynthesis.

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“…Microbialites are organo-sedimentary deposits formed by the metabolic activity of microbial communities that induce the precipitation of minerals and trapped sediments to form structures that can be amorphous, clotted (thrombolites), or layered (stromatolites) [13]. They are ubiquitous in the fossil record, dating back to the Archaean and Precambrian eras [14][15][16][17]. Extant microbialites occur in temperate (marine and freshwater) as well as extreme environments that include hypersaline lagoons [18].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental metabolomics characterization of modern stromatolites and annotation of ibhayipeptolides

Neuhaus,

Aron,

Isemonger

et al. 2024

Preprint

0

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Lithified layers of complex microbial mats known as microbialites are ubiquitous in the fossil record, and modern forms are increasingly identified globally. A key challenge to developing an understanding of microbialite formation and environmental role is how to investigate complex and diverse communities in situ. We selected living, layered microbialites (stromatolites) in a peritidal environment near Schoenmakerskop, Eastern Cape, South Africa to conduct a spatial survey mapping the composition and small molecule production of the microbial communities from environmental samples. Substrate core samples were collected from nine sampling stations ranging from the upper point of the freshwater inflow to the lower marine interface where tidal overtopping takes place. Substrate cores provided material for parallel analyses of microbial community diversity by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomics using LC–MS2. Species and metabolite diversities were correlated, and prominent specialized metabolites were targeted for preliminary characterization. A new series of cyclic hexadepsipeptides, named ibhayipeptolides, was most abundant in substrate cores of submerged microbialites. These results demonstrate the detection and identification of metabolites from mass-limited environmental samples and contribute knowledge about microbialite chemistry and biology, which facilitates future targeted studies of specialized metabolite function and biosynthesis.

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“…1 They are ubiquitous in the fossil record, dating back to the Archaean and Precambrian eras and retain information about past physical, geochemical and biological processes in the course of evolution. [2][3][4][5] Extant microbialites occur in temperate (marine and freshwater) as well as extreme environments that include hypersaline lagoons. 6 They have been documented primarily from several sites in Western Australia, 7 the Bahamas, 8 South/Central America, 9 , North America, 10,11 and South Africa, 12,13 with diverse microbial community structures and metabolisms.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Metabolomics Spatial Survey of Modern Stromatolites from South Africa and Characterization of Ibhayipeptolides

Neuhaus

¹

,

Aron

²

,

Isemonger

³

et al. 2022

Preprint

1

0

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Evidence of life on earth dates back more than 3.4 billion years in the form of lithified layers of complex microbial mats known as microbialites, which are ubiquitous in the fossil record. Modern, extant microbialites are comparatively rare but have been documented globally. Multi-faceted, molecular investigations are required to understand community structure and function, factors that influence formation and growth, and how modern microbialite microbial communities differ from those in non-lithifying microbial mats. In this study we selected living, layered microbialites (stromatolites) in a peritidal environment near Schoenmakerskop in the Eastern Cape of South Africa as a study site for conducting a spatial survey to map the composition and small molecule production of the microbial communities across the system. Substrate cores and water samples were collected from nine sampling stations ranging from the upper point of the freshwater inflow to the lower marine interface where tidal overtopping takes place. Substrate cores provided material for parallel analyses of microbial community diversity by 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing and metabolomics using LC-MS2. Species diversity was correlated with metabolite diversity between the nine sampling stations and prominent specialized metabolites were targeted for characterization. A new series of cyclic hexadepsipeptides, named ibhayipeptolides, was most abundant in substrate cores of submerged microbialites, and we predict that this large molecular family is produced by cyanobacteria belonging to the family Geitlerinemaceae. These data contribute knowledge about, and facilitate future targeted studies of, specialized metabolite function and biosynthesis in microbialite communities.

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Stromatolites: Linking the past to the future

Cited by 4 publications

References 26 publications

Environmental metabolomics characterization of modern stromatolites and annotation of ibhayipeptolides

Environmental metabolomics characterization of modern stromatolites and annotation of ibhayipeptolides

Environmental metabolomics characterization of modern stromatolites and annotation of ibhayipeptolides

Metabolomics Spatial Survey of Modern Stromatolites from South Africa and Characterization of Ibhayipeptolides

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