地热生境中硫循环微生物研究进展——对早期地球生命过程的启示

Research progress in microbial-mediated sulfur cycles in geothermal habitats:Insights into biological processes on the early Earth

地热生境具有高温、缺氧等特点,与早期地球环境条件相似。因此,现代地热生境中嗜热菌可作为研究对象用来探讨地球早期生命与环境协同演化过程。微生物介导的硫循环过程是早期地球主要的生物地球化学过程之一。因此,研究地热生境微生物介导的硫循环及其耦合的相关元素循环过程,有助于我们理解早期地球硫元素生物地球化学循环过程及其环境效应。本文综述了地热生境中硫循环微生物多样性特征及其影响因素,以及与硫循耦合的碳、氮、铁循环的微生物过程;结合地球早期的环境条件以及对应的地层中的同位素地质记录,探讨了地球早期微生物介导的硫循环过程可能产生的环境效应,为研究早期地球微生物介导的硫循环与环境的协同演化过程提出展望。

Geothermal habitats are characterized by high temperature and hypoxia similar to the conditions of early Earth.Therefore,thermophiles in modern geothermal habitats can be used to study the co-evolution of life and environment on the early Earth.The sulfur cycle is one of main biogeochemical processes on the early Earth,thus studying microbial-mediated sulfur cycle and its coupling with other elements in geothermal habitats can deepen our understanding of the biogeochemical sulfur cycle and its environmental effects on the early Earth.This review summarizes the characteristics of microbial diversity in the sulfur cycle and their influencing factors in geothermal habitats,as well as the coupling of the sulfur cycle with the iron,methane,and nitrogen cycles.Combined with Archean geochemical conditions and stratigraphic isotope record,this review also discusses the possible environmental effects of the sulfur cycle on the early Earth.Finally,an outlook on future research on microbial-mediated co-evolution of the sulfur cycle and environment on the early Earth is discussed.