1 Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada.
2 Department of Chemistry and School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, K9J 7B8, Canada.
3 Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences, 9860 West Saanich Road, Sidney, BC, V8V 4L1, Canada.
4 Département de biologie, Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS) and Québec-Océan, Université Laval, Laval, QC, G1K 7P4, Canada.
5 Takuvik Joint International Laboratory, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (France, CNRS UMI 3376), Université Laval, Laval, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada.
6 Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada. david.walsh@concordia.ca.

Genomic evidence for the degradation of terrestrial organic matter by pelagic Arctic Ocean Chloroflexi bacteria.

Commun Biol. 2018;1:90

Authors: Colatriano D, Tran PQ, Guéguen C, Williams WJ, Lovejoy C, Walsh DA

Abstract

The Arctic Ocean currently receives a large supply of global river discharge and terrestrial dissolved organic matter. Moreover, an increase in freshwater runoff and riverine transport of organic matter to the Arctic Ocean is a predicted consequence of thawing permafrost and increased precipitation. The fate of the terrestrial humic-rich organic material and its impact on the marine carbon cycle are largely unknown. Here, a metagenomic survey of the Canada Basin in the Western Arctic Ocean showed that pelagic Chloroflexi from the Arctic Ocean are replete with aromatic compound degradation genes, acquired in part by lateral transfer from terrestrial bacteria. Our results imply marine Chloroflexi have the capacity to use terrestrial organic matter and that their role in the carbon cycle may increase with the changing hydrological cycle.

PMID: 30271971 [PubMed]