Geoarchaeota: a new candidate phylum in the Archaea from high-temperature acidic iron mats in Yellowstone National Park
Kozubal MA, Romine M, Jennings Rd, Jay ZJ, Tringe SG, Rusch DB, Beam JP, McCue LA, Inskeep WP. 2012. Geoarchaeota: a new candidate phylum in the Archaea from high-temperature acidic iron mats in Yellowstone National Park. The ISME Journal. 7(3):622-634
Identifying a new phylum of Archaea. Geothermal systems in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) provide an outstanding opportunity to understand the origin and evolution of metabolic processes necessary for life in extreme environments including low pH, high temperature, low oxygen and elevated concentrations of reduced iron. Previous phylogenetic studies of acidic ferric iron mats from YNP have revealed considerable diversity of uncultivated and undescribed archaea. The goal of this study was to obtain replicate de novo genome assemblies for a dominant archaeal population inhabiting acidic ironoxide mats in YNP. Detailed analysis of conserved ribosomal and informational processing genes indicates that the replicate assemblies represent a new candidate phylum within the domain Archaea referred to here as ‘Geoarchaeota’ or ‘novel archaeal group 1 (NAG1)’. The NAG1 organisms contain pathways necessary for the catabolism of peptides and complex carbohydrates as well as a bacterial-like Form I carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex likely used for energy conservation. Moreover, this novel population contains genes involved in the metabolism of oxygen including a Type A heme copper oxidase, a bd-type terminal oxidase and a putative oxygen-sensing protoglobin. NAG1 has a variety of unique bacterial-like cofactor biosynthesis and transport genes and a Type3-like CRISPR system. Discovery of NAG1 is critical to our understanding of microbial community structure and function in extant thermophilic iron-oxide mats of YNP, and will provide insight regarding the evolution of Archaea in early Earth environments that may have important analogs active in YNP today.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Kozubal, Mark; Romine, Margaret; Jennings, Ryan; Jay, Zack; Tringe, Susannah; Rusch, Doug; Beam, Jacob; McCue, Lee; Inskeep, William
- Date of Issue
- 2012-10-10
- Units
- YELL
- Keywords
- carbon monoxide, extremophiles, geothermal, heme copper oxidase, iron-oxides, Yellowstone National Park
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Subsurface Geologic Processes | Geothermal Features and Processes , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Microorganisms