The thermodynamic ladder in geomicrobiology

Bethke, Craig M.; Sanford, Robert A.; Kirk, Matthew F.; Jin, Qusheng; Flynn, Theodore M.

doi:10.2475/03.2011.01

Cited by 257 publications

(242 citation statements)

References 95 publications

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“…The classical view in aquatic geochemistry is that the order of oxidants used in the remineralization of organic carbon follows a predictable sequence based on decreasing free energy returns (i.e. the electron tower or thermodynamic ladder; [94]), which is paralleled by an ecological succession of organisms [95]. This view probably holds true in many marine environments that contain a near-continuous excess of organic carbon raining down from the surface as a result of photosynthesis.…”

Section: (E) Redox Chemistry and Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge

Mikucki

Lee

Ghosh

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Liquid water occurs below glaciers and ice sheets globally, enabling the existence of an array of aquatic microbial ecosystems. In Antarctica, large subglacial lakes are present beneath hundreds to thousands of metres of ice, and scientific interest in exploring these environments has escalated over the past decade. After years of planning, the first team of scientists and engineers cleanly accessed and retrieved pristine samples from a West Antarctic subglacial lake ecosystem in January 2013. This paper reviews the findings to date on Subglacial Lake Whillans and presents new supporting data on the carbon and energy metabolism of resident microbes. The analysis of water and sediments from the lake revealed a diverse microbial community composed of bacteria and archaea that are close relatives of species known to use reduced N, S or Fe and CH4 as energy sources. The water chemistry of Subglacial Lake Whillans was dominated by weathering products from silicate minerals with a minor influence from seawater. Contributions to water chemistry from microbial sulfide oxidation and carbonation reactions were supported by genomic data. Collectively, these results provide unequivocal evidence that subglacial environments in this region of West Antarctica host active microbial ecosystems that participate in subglacial biogeochemical cyclingauthorsversionPeer reviewe

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Section: (E) Redox Chemistry and Thermodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge

Mikucki

Lee

Ghosh

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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“…Rates of acetate oxidation and Fe(III) and SO4 2-reduction were evaluated using mass-242 balance calculations as described previously (Bethke et al, 2011;Kirk et al, 2010). A detailed 243 description of those calculations is available in the Electronic Annex.…”

Section: Mass-balance and Thermodynamic Calculations 241mentioning

confidence: 99%

CO2-induced shift in microbial activity affects carbon trapping and water quality in anoxic bioreactors

Kirk

Santillan

Sanford

et al. 2013

Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta

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“…and 'How do interspecific interactions (including syntrophy) influence the physical and chemical limits for microbial multiplication?' [71,95,96] could additionally advance our knowledge of the global-scale boundaries for cell division. Competing interests.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, experiments using sediment microbial consortia have showed that biological factors (e.g. cellular free-energy efficiency, population viability and mutualism) can exert a greater degree of control over rates of microbial catabolism than the availability of usable energy ( [71] and references therein). Given our results, it is possible that such factors can also influence the distribution of diverse modes of catabolism within the global-scale parameter space for life.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Aerobically respiring prokaryotic strains exhibit a broader temperature–pH–salinity space for cell division than anaerobically respiring and fermentative strains

Harrison¹,

Dobinson²,

Freeman³

et al. 2015

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Biological processes on the Earth operate within a parameter space that is constrained by physical and chemical extremes. Aerobic respiration can result in adenosine triphosphate yields up to over an order of magnitude higher than those attained anaerobically and, under certain conditions, may enable microbial multiplication over a broader range of extremes than other modes of catabolism. We employed growth data published for 241 prokaryotic strains to compare temperature, pH and salinity values for cell division between aerobically and anaerobically metabolizing taxa. Isolates employing oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor exhibited a considerably more extensive three-dimensional phase space for cell division (90% of the total volume) than taxa using other inorganic substrates or organic compounds as the electron acceptor (15% and 28% of the total volume, respectively), with all groups differing in their growth characteristics. Understanding the mechanistic basis of these differences will require integration of research into microbial ecology, physiology and energetics, with a focus on global-scale processes. Critical knowledge gaps include the combined impacts of diverse stress parameters on Gibbs energy yields and rates of microbial activity, interactions between cellular energetics and adaptations to extremes, and relating laboratory-based data to in situ limits for cell division.

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The thermodynamic ladder in geomicrobiology

Cited by 257 publications

References 95 publications

Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge

Subglacial Lake Whillans microbial biogeochemistry: a synthesis of current knowledge

CO2-induced shift in microbial activity affects carbon trapping and water quality in anoxic bioreactors

Aerobically respiring prokaryotic strains exhibit a broader temperature–pH–salinity space for cell division than anaerobically respiring and fermentative strains

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