Cold seep sediment Targeted Locus (Loci). marine sediment metagenome

Microorganisms can impact phosphorus (P) cycling in aquatic sediments by accumulating and later hydrolyzing intracellular polyphosphate (poly-P). In particular, poly-P utilization by large sulfur bacteria has been implicated in phosphate mineral formation in hypoxic marine zones, and might constitute an important sink in the global P cycle. Here, we combined incubation experiments with metatranscriptomics to compare microbial poly-P utilization, and P cycling in general, in sediments exposed to different redox conditions. We incubated sediments from two locations: methane-seep sediments collected near Barbados that included large sulfur bacteria, and sulfidic Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) sediments with no visible sulfur oxidizers.