Microbes mediating the sulfur cycle in the Atlantic ocean

Tag-sequencing of the aprA gene (encoding the alpha subunit of the adenosine-5- phosphosulfate (APS) reductase) was used to characterize the sulfate-reducing (SRP) and sulfur-oxidizing prokaryotes (SOP) community composition in different biogeographic provinces and through different depth zones of the Atlantic ocean. Our results suggest that sulfur-oxidizing bacteria are important players in the sulfur cycling of the meso- and bathypelagic Atlantic Ocean and that sulfur oxidation is only partially coupled with inorganic carbon fixation

本研究通过对编码腺苷-5'-磷酰硫酸（APS）还原酶α亚基的aprA基因进行标签测序，解析了大西洋不同生物地理分区及不同深度层中的硫酸盐还原原核生物（SRP）与硫氧化原核生物（SOP）群落组成。研究结果表明，硫氧化细菌在大西洋中深层带的硫循环中发挥着重要作用，且硫氧化过程仅与无机碳固定过程部分偶联。