Metabolome-mediated biocryomorphic evolution promotes carbon fixation in Greenlandic cryoconite holes
Journal article
Authors | Joseph M Cook, Arwyn Edwards, Bulling, M., Luis A J Mur, Sophie Cook, Jarishma K Gokul, Karen A Cameron, Sweet, M. and Tristram D L Irvine-Fynn |
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Abstract | Microbial photoautotrophs on glaciers engineer the formation of granular microbial-mineral aggregate stermed cryoconite which accelerate ice melt, creating quasi-cylindrical pits called ‘cryoconite holes’. Theseact as biogeochemical reactors on the ice surface and provide habitats for remarkably active and diverse microbiota. Evolution of cryoconite holes towards an equilibrium depth is well known, yet inter-actions between microbial activity and hole morphology are currently weakly addressed. Here, we experimentally perturbed the depths and diameters of cryoconite holes on the Greenland Ice Sheet.Cryoconite holes responded by sensitively adjusting their shapes in three dimensions (‘biocryomorphic evolution’) thus maintaining favourable conditions for net autotrophy at the hole floors. Non-targeted metabolomics reveals concomitant shifts in cyclicAMP and fucose metabolism consistent with photo-taxis and extracellular polymer synthesis indicating metabolomic-level granular changes in response to perturbation. We present a conceptual model explain-ing this process and suggest that it results in remarkably robust net autotrophy on the Greenland Ice Sheet. We also describe observations of cryocon-ite migrating away from shade, implying a degree of self-regulation of carbon budgets over mesoscales. Since cryoconite is a microbe-mineral aggregate, itappears that microbial processes themselves formand maintain stable autotrophic habitats on the sur-face of the Greenland ice sheet. |
Keywords | greenland; ice sheet; Microbial photoautotrophs |
Year | 2016 |
Journal | Environmental Microbiology |
ISSN | 14622912 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13349 |
Web address (URL) | http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/1462-2920.13349 |
http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/102375/ | |
hdl:10545/618779 | |
Output status | Published |
Publication dates | 2016 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 25 Aug 2016, 10:37 |
Accepted | 19 Apr 2016 |
Rights | Archived with thanks to Environmental Microbiology |
Contributors | University of Derby, Department of Geography; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK S10 2TN, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences; Aberystwyth University; SY23 3DA, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; UK DE22 1GB, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences; Aberystwyth University; SY23 3DA, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences; Aberystwyth University; SY23 3DA, Department of Geochemistry; Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS); 1350 Copenhagen Denmark, College of Life and Natural Sciences; University of Derby; UK DE22 1GB and Centre for Glaciology, Department of Geography and Earth Sciences; Aberystwyth University; SY 23 3DA |
File | File Access Level Restricted |
File | File Access Level Restricted |
https://repository.derby.ac.uk/item/93609/metabolome-mediated-biocryomorphic-evolution-promotes-carbon-fixation-in-greenlandic-cryoconite-holes
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