An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite
The process of serpentinization supports life on Earth and gives rise to the habitability of other worlds in our Solar System. While numerous studies have provided clues to the survival strategies of microbial communities in serpentinizing environments on the modern Earth, characterizing microbial a...
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| Format: | Article |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1093372/full |
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| author | Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Emily A. Kraus Emily A. Kraus Craig McLean John R. Spear Alexis S. Templeton Matthew O. Schrenk Matthew O. Schrenk |
| author_facet | Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Emily A. Kraus Emily A. Kraus Craig McLean John R. Spear Alexis S. Templeton Matthew O. Schrenk Matthew O. Schrenk |
| author_sort | Lauren M. Seyler |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The process of serpentinization supports life on Earth and gives rise to the habitability of other worlds in our Solar System. While numerous studies have provided clues to the survival strategies of microbial communities in serpentinizing environments on the modern Earth, characterizing microbial activity in such environments remains challenging due to low biomass and extreme conditions. Here, we used an untargeted metabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater in the Samail Ophiolite, the largest and best characterized example of actively serpentinizing uplifted ocean crust and mantle. We found that dissolved organic matter composition is strongly correlated with both fluid type and microbial community composition, and that the fluids that were most influenced by serpentinization contained the greatest number of unique compounds, none of which could be identified using the current metabolite databases. Using metabolomics in conjunction with metagenomic data, we detected numerous products and intermediates of microbial metabolic processes and identified potential biosignatures of microbial activity, including pigments, porphyrins, quinones, fatty acids, and metabolites involved in methanogenesis. Metabolomics techniques like the ones used in this study may be used to further our understanding of life in serpentinizing environments, and aid in the identification of biosignatures that can be used to search for life in serpentinizing systems on other worlds. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:13:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-692e351c36124d45872e8366af60e034 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-302X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:13:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Microbiology |
| spelling | doaj.art-692e351c36124d45872e8366af60e0342023-03-09T04:29:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Microbiology1664-302X2023-03-011410.3389/fmicb.2023.10933721093372An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail OphioliteLauren M. Seyler0Lauren M. Seyler1Lauren M. Seyler2Emily A. Kraus3Emily A. Kraus4Craig McLean5John R. Spear6Alexis S. Templeton7Matthew O. Schrenk8Matthew O. Schrenk9Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United StatesBiology Program, School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Stockton University, Galloway, NJ, United StatesBlue Marble Space Institute of Science, Seattle, WA, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United StatesDepartment of Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesMassachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United StatesDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO, United StatesDepartment of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United StatesDepartment of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United StatesDepartment of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United StatesThe process of serpentinization supports life on Earth and gives rise to the habitability of other worlds in our Solar System. While numerous studies have provided clues to the survival strategies of microbial communities in serpentinizing environments on the modern Earth, characterizing microbial activity in such environments remains challenging due to low biomass and extreme conditions. Here, we used an untargeted metabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater in the Samail Ophiolite, the largest and best characterized example of actively serpentinizing uplifted ocean crust and mantle. We found that dissolved organic matter composition is strongly correlated with both fluid type and microbial community composition, and that the fluids that were most influenced by serpentinization contained the greatest number of unique compounds, none of which could be identified using the current metabolite databases. Using metabolomics in conjunction with metagenomic data, we detected numerous products and intermediates of microbial metabolic processes and identified potential biosignatures of microbial activity, including pigments, porphyrins, quinones, fatty acids, and metabolites involved in methanogenesis. Metabolomics techniques like the ones used in this study may be used to further our understanding of life in serpentinizing environments, and aid in the identification of biosignatures that can be used to search for life in serpentinizing systems on other worlds.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1093372/fullmetabolomicsserpentinizationmetagenomicsDOMalkaliphilesmethanogenesis |
| spellingShingle | Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Lauren M. Seyler Emily A. Kraus Emily A. Kraus Craig McLean John R. Spear Alexis S. Templeton Matthew O. Schrenk Matthew O. Schrenk An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite Frontiers in Microbiology metabolomics serpentinization metagenomics DOM alkaliphiles methanogenesis |
| title | An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite |
| title_full | An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite |
| title_fullStr | An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite |
| title_full_unstemmed | An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite |
| title_short | An untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the Samail Ophiolite |
| title_sort | untargeted exometabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic matter in groundwater of the samail ophiolite |
| topic | metabolomics serpentinization metagenomics DOM alkaliphiles methanogenesis |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1093372/full |
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