RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Microbial dormancy in the marine subsurface: Global endospore abundance and response to burial
JF Science Advances
JO Sci Adv
FD American Association for the Advancement of Science
SP eaav1024
DO 10.1126/sciadv.aav1024
VO 5
IS 2
A1 Wörmer, Lars
A1 Hoshino, Tatsuhiko
A1 Bowles, Marshall W.
A1 Viehweger, Bernhard
A1 Adhikari, Rishi R.
A1 Xiao, Nan
A1 Uramoto, Go-ichiro
A1 Könneke, Martin
A1 Lazar, Cassandre S.
A1 Morono, Yuki
A1 Inagaki, Fumio
A1 Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe
YR 2019
UL http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/5/2/eaav1024.abstract
AB Marine sediments host an unexpectedly large microbial biosphere, suggesting unique microbial mechanisms for surviving burial and slow metabolic turnover. Although dormancy is generally considered an important survival strategy, its specific role in subsurface sediments remains unclear. We quantified dormant bacterial endospores in 331 marine sediment samples from diverse depositional types and geographical origins. The abundance of endospores relative to vegetative cells increased with burial depth and endospores became dominant below 25 m, with an estimated population of 2.5 × 1028 to 1.9 × 1029 endospores in the uppermost kilometer of sediment and a corresponding biomass carbon of 4.6 to 35 Pg surpassing that of vegetative cells. Our data further identify distinct endospore subgroups with divergent resistance to burial and aging. Endospores may shape the deep biosphere by providing a core population for colonization of new habitats and/or through low-frequency germination to sustain slow growth in this environment.