Major S R, Polinski J M, Penn K, Rodrigue M, Harke M J
Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute, Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA.
OceanX, New York, New York, USA.
Appl Environ Microbiol. 2025 Apr 23;91(4):e0259324. doi: 10.1128/aem.02593-24. Epub 2025 Mar 31.
Hydrothermal vent plumes (HVPs), formed by high-temperature vent emissions, are rich in compounds that support chemosynthesis and serve as reservoirs of microbial diversity and genetic innovation. Through turbulence, mixing, and interaction with subsea currents, vent communities are thought to disperse across ocean basins. In this study, we focused on the plume of the Moytirra hydrothermal vent field, a relatively unexplored site, to investigate its microbial inhabitants. We cultured bacteria from the Moytirra HVP using 11 different media types and performed complete genome sequencing on 12 isolates. Our analyses revealed four putatively novel species from the , , , and genera. Comparative genomics identified unique genomic islands containing biosynthetic gene clusters, including a novel Non-Ribosomal Peptide Synthetase/Polyketide Synthase cluster, toxin-antitoxin systems, and evidence of horizontal gene transfer facilitated by prophages. These findings underscore the potential of HVPs as a source of novel microbial species and biotechnologically relevant genes, contributing to our understanding of the biodiversity and genetic complexity of these extreme environments.IMPORTANCEHydrothermal vents are dynamic environments that offer unique nutrients for chemosynthetic organisms to drive biology in the deep-sea. The dynamics of these ecosystems are thought to drive genomic innovation in resident populations. Hydrothermal vent plumes (HVPs) mix with surrounding water, carrying local microbiota with them and dispersing for hundreds of kilometers. This study isolated bacteria from a HVP to capture a genomic snapshot of the microbial community, revealing four putatively novel species of bacteria within three taxonomic classes. The addition of these genomes to public databases provides valuable insights into the genomic function, architecture, and novel biosynthetic gene clusters of bacteria found in these extreme environments.
热液喷口羽流（HVPs）由高温喷口排放形成，富含支持化学合成的化合物，是微生物多样性和基因创新的储存库。通过湍流、混合以及与海底水流的相互作用，喷口群落被认为会扩散到各个海洋盆地。在本研究中，我们聚焦于莫伊蒂拉热液喷口场的羽流，这是一个相对未被探索的地点，以调查其微生物居民。我们使用11种不同的培养基类型从莫伊蒂拉热液喷口羽流中培养细菌，并对12个分离株进行了全基因组测序。我们的分析揭示了来自 、 、 和 属的四个假定新物种。比较基因组学鉴定出了包含生物合成基因簇的独特基因组岛，包括一个新的非核糖体肽合成酶/聚酮合酶簇、毒素 - 抗毒素系统以及由噬菌体促进的水平基因转移的证据。这些发现强调了热液喷口羽流作为新微生物物种和具有生物技术相关性基因来源的潜力，有助于我们理解这些极端环境中的生物多样性和遗传复杂性。重要性热液喷口是动态环境，为化学合成生物提供独特养分以驱动深海生物学。这些生态系统的动态变化被认为会推动常驻种群的基因组创新。热液喷口羽流与周围海水混合，携带当地微生物群并扩散数百公里。本研究从热液喷口羽流中分离细菌以获取微生物群落的基因组快照，揭示了三个分类类别中的四个假定新细菌物种。将这些基因组添加到公共数据库中，为深入了解这些极端环境中发现的细菌的基因组功能、结构和新生物合成基因簇提供了有价值的见解。
