Procaryotic Diversity and Hydrogenotrophic Methanogenesis in an Alkaline Spring (La Crouen, New Caledonia)

(1) Background: The geothermal spring of La Crouen (New Caledonia) discharges warm (42 °C) alkaline water (pH~9) enriched in dissolved nitrogen with traces of methane, but its microbial diversity has not yet been studied. (2) Methods: Cultivation-dependent and -independent methods (e.g., Illumina sequencing and quantitative PCR based on 16S rRNA gene) were used to describe the prokaryotic diversity of this spring. (3) Results: Prokaryotes were mainly represented by Proteobacteria (57% on average), followed by Cyanobacteria, Chlorofexi, and Candidatus Gracilibacteria (GN02/BD1-5) (each > 5%). Both potential aerobes and anaerobes, as well as mesophilic and thermophilic microorganisms, were identified. Some of them had previously been detected in continental hyperalkaline springs found in serpentinizing environments (The Cedars, Samail, Voltri, and Zambales ophiolites). Gammaproteobacteria, Ca. Gracilibacteria and Thermotogae were significantly more abundant in spring water than in sediments. Potential chemolithotrophs mainly included beta- and gammaproteobacterial genera of sulfate-reducers (Ca. Desulfobacillus), methylotrophs (Methyloversatilis), sulfur-oxidizers (Thiofaba, Thiovirga), or hydrogen-oxidizers (Hydrogenophaga). Methanogens (Methanobacteriales and Methanosarcinales) were the dominant Archaea, as found in serpentinization-driven and deep subsurface ecosystems. A novel alkaliphilic hydrogenotrophic methanogen (strain CAN) belonging to the genus Methanobacterium was isolated, suggesting that hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis occurs at La Crouen.

Geochemical Characterization of Geothermal Spring Waters Occurring in South Part of Gujarat and West Coast Geothermal Province of Maharashtra, India

Geothermal waters are extensively useful for various purposes such as in industrial plants, societal benefits, irrigation, and domestic consumptions. However, its physiochemical characterization is very important before using it for any rationale. The main objective of this paper is to identify the hydro-chemistry of geothermal water which is placed in southern part of Gujarat such as Unai hot springs and Saputara geothermal springs, and west coast geothermal province (WCGP) like Tural-Rajwadi group of hot springs. The standard methods were used to carry out the analysis of geothermal water. Piper, Stiff, Gibbs, Extended Durov, and Wilcox diagrams have been plotted to categorize water samples in facies. Spatial distribution curves have also been plotted for geothermal regions of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The geochemistry of groundwater is influenced by the presence of most important ions like Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Cl-, HCO3-, and SO42-. Geothermal spring of Unai contains high TDS concentration around 1000 mg/l thus it cannot be used for drinking purposes but it can be utilized for domestic, balneology, and industrial purposes. However, after desalination this water can be utilized for drinking purposes. In Tural-Rajwadi hot springs TDS concentration was > 900 mg/l and pH range was between7-8 hence it can be used for domestic and industrial purposes. The temperature range of Tural-Rajwadi geothermal hot spring is 55-65°C which is very useful for milk pasteurization, industrial operations, space heating, balneology facilities like greenhouses and aquaculture ponds, and domestic purposes.

Recoding enhances the metabolic capabilities of two novel methylotrophic Asgardarchaeota lineages

Asgardarchaeota have been proposed as the closest living relatives to eukaryotes, and a total of 72 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) representing six primary lineages in this archaeal phylum have thus far been described. These organisms are predicted to be fermentative organoheterotrophs contributing to carbon cycling in sediment ecosystems. Here, we double the genomic catalogue of Asgardarchaeota by obtaining 71 MAGs from a range of habitats around the globe, including deep subsurface, shallow lake, and geothermal spring sediments. Phylogenomic inferences followed by taxonomic rank normalisation confirmed previously established Asgardarchaeota classes and revealed four novel lineages, two of which were consistently recovered as monophyletic classes. We therefore propose the names Candidatus Hodarchaeia class nov. and Cand. Jordarchaeia class nov., derived from the gods Hod and Jord in Norse mythology. Metabolic inference suggests that both novel classes represent methylotrophic acetogens, encoding the transfer of methyl groups, such as methylated amines, to coenzyme M with acetate as the end product in remnants of a methanogen-derived core metabolism. This inferred mode of energy conservation is predicted to be enhanced by genetic code expansions, i.e. recoding, allowing the incorporation of the rare 21st and 22nd amino acids selenocysteine (Sec) and pyrrolysine (Pyl). We found Sec recoding in Jordarchaeia and all other Asgardarchaeota classes, which likely benefit from increased catalytic activities of Sec-containing enzymes. Pyl recoding on the other hand is restricted to Hodarchaeia in the Asgardarchaeota, making it the first reported non-methanogenic lineage with an inferred complete Pyl machinery, likely providing this class with an efficient mechanism for methylamine utilisation. Furthermore, we identified enzymes for the biosynthesis of ester-type lipids, characteristic of Bacteria and Eukaryotes, in both novel classes, supporting the hypothesis that mixed ether-ester lipids are a shared feature among Asgardarchaeota.

Purification and Characterization of a Noble Thermostable Alpha-amylase from Anoxybacillus tengchongensis RA1-2-1 Isolated from Geothermal Spring of Nepal

A thermophilic amylolytic strain, Anoxybacillus tengchongensis RA1-2-1 was isolated from geothermal spring of Rasuwagadi district of Nepal. The BLAST alignment of the 16s rRNA sequence revealed 99.3% similarity with the type strain Anoxybacillus tengchongensis T-11. The morphological, physiological and biochemical properties were similar to the type strain. The enzyme from the strain was purified to 40-fold purification by DEAE-cellulose ion exchange chromatography. The Km value of the enzyme was 0.68±0.05 mg/ml. The optimum pH and temperature were 7.0 and 70 °C. SDS-PAGE analysis showed a single band at 69 kDa. The half-life of the enzyme at 70°C and 80°C were 85.01min and 51.96 min respectively. TLC analysis of the hydrolysis product showed that the enzyme is maltogenic amylase. The calcium independent enzyme was completely inhibited by Hg2+ but showed inhibitory effect in the range of 100 %-30 % in the presence of other salts at 1-10 mM concentrations.