The abundant marine bacterium Pelagibacter simultaneously catabolizes dimethylsulfoniopropionate to the gases dimethyl sulfide and methanethiol
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ABSTRACT: Marine phytoplankton produce ~109 tons of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) per year, an estimated 10% of which is catabolized by bacteria through the DMSP cleavage pathway to the climatically active gas dimethyl sulfide (DMS). SAR11 Alphaproteobacteria (order Pelagibacterales), the most abundant chemoorganotrophic bacteria in the oceans, have been shown to assimilate DMSP into biomass, thereby supplying this cell’s unusual requirement for reduced sulfur. Here we report that Pelagibacter HTCC1062 produces the gas methanethiol (MeSH) and that simultaneously a second DMSP catabolic pathway, mediated by a DMSP lyase, shunts as much as 59% of DMSP uptake to DMS production. We propose a model in which the allocation of DMSP between these pathways is kinetically controlled to release DMS when the supply of DMSP exceeds cellular sulfur demands for biosynthesis. These findings suggest that DMSP supply and demand relationships can significantly control rates of oceanic DMS production.
INSTRUMENT(S): LTQ Orbitrap
ORGANISM(S): Pelagibacter Ubique
SUBMITTER: Ben Temperton
LAB HEAD: Steve Giovannoni
PROVIDER: PXD001717 | Pride | 2017-12-08
REPOSITORIES: Pride
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