Widespread Bathyarchaeia encode a novel methyltransferase utilizing lignin-derived aromatics

Lignin degradation is a major process in the global carbon cycle across both terrestrial and marine ecosystems.Bathyarchaeia,which are among the most abundant microorganisms in marine sediment,have been proposed to mediate anaerobic lignin degradation.However,the mechanism of bathyarchaeial lignin degradation remains unclear.Here,we report an enrichment culture of Bathy-archaeia,named Candidatus Baizosediminiarchaeum ligniniphilus DL1YTT001(Ca.B.ligniniphilus),from coastal sediments that can grow with lignin as the sole organic carbon source under mesophilic anoxic conditions.Ca.B.ligniniphilus possesses and highly expresses novel methyltransferase 1(MT1,mtgB)for transferring methoxyl groups from lignin monomers to cob(I)alamin.MtgBs have no homology with known microbial methyltransferases and are present only in bathyarchaeial lineages.Heterologous expression of the mtgB gene confirmed O-demethylation activity.The mtgB genes were identified in metagenomic data sets from a wide range of coastal sediments,and they were highly expressed in coastal sediments from the East China Sea.These findings suggest that Bathyarchaeia,capable of O-demethylation via their novel and specific methyltransferases,are ubiquitous in coastal sediments.

Towards enriching and isolation of uncultivated archaea from marine sediments using a refined combination of conventional microbial cultivation methods

The archaea that can be readily cultivated in the laboratory are only a small fraction of the total diversity that exists in nature.Although molecular ecology methods,such as metagenomic sequencing,can provide valuable information independent of cell cultivation,it is only through cultivation-based experiments that they may be fully characterized,both for their physiological and ecological properties.Here,we report our efforts towards enriching and isolation of uncultivated archaea from marine sediments using a refined combination of conventional microbial cultivation methods.Initially,cells were retrieved from the sediment samples through a cell extraction procedure and the sediment-free mixed cells were then divided into different size-range fractions by successive filtration through 0.8µm,0.6µm and 0.2µm membranes.Archaeal 16S rRNA gene analyses indicated noticeable retention of different archaeal groups in different fractions.For each fraction,supplementation with a variety of defined substrates(e.g.,methane,sulfate,and lignin)and stepwise dilutions led to highly active enrichment cultures of several archaeal groups with Bathyarchaeota most prominently enriched.Finally,using a roll-bottle technique,three co-cultures consisting of Bathyarchaeota(subgroup-8)and a bacterial species affiliated with either Pseudomonas or Glutamicibacter were obtained.Our results demonstrate that a combination of cell extraction,size fractionation,and roll-bottle isolation methods could be a useful protocol for the successful enrichment and isolation of numerous slow-growing archaeal groups from marine sediments.

Expanding Asgard members in the domain of Archaea sheds new light on the origin of eukaryotes

The hypothesis that eukaryotes originated from within the domain Archaea has been strongly supported by recent phylogenomic analyses placing Heimdallarchaeota-Wukongarchaeota branch from the Asgard superphylum as the closest known archaeal sister-group to eukaryotes. However, our understanding is still limited in terms of the relationship between eukaryotes and archaea, as well as the evolution and ecological functions of the Asgard archaea. Here, we describe three previously unknown phylum-level Asgard archaeal lineages, tentatively named Sigyn-, Freyr-and Njordarchaeota. Additional members in Wukongarchaeota and Baldrarchaeota from distinct environments are also reported here, further expanding their ecological roles and metabolic capacities. Comprehensive phylogenomic analyses further supported the origin of eukaryotes within Asgard archaea and a new lineage Njordarchaeota was supposed as the known closest branch with the eukaryotic nuclear host lineage. Metabolic reconstruction suggests that Njordarchaeota may have a heterotrophic lifestyle with capability of peptides and amino acids utilization, while Sigynarchaeota and Freyrarchaeota also have the potentials to fix inorganic carbon via the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway and degrade organic matters. Additionally, the Ack/Pta pathway for homoacetogenesis and de novo anaerobic cobalamin biosynthesis pathway were found in Freyrarchaeota and Wukongrarchaeota,respectively. Some previously unidentified eukaryotic signature proteins for intracellular membrane trafficking system, and the homologue of mu/sigma subunit of adaptor protein complex, were identified in Freyrarchaeota. This study expands the Asgard superphylum, sheds new light on the evolution of eukaryotes and improves our understanding of ecological functions of the Asgard archaea.