Article
Environmental Sciences
Shi-Hai Mao, Guang-Chao Zhuang, Xin-Wei Liu, Na Jin, Hong-Hai Zhang, Andrew Montgomery, Xi-Ting Liu, Gui-Peng Yang
Summary: Dimethylated sulfur compounds, such as DMS, DMSP, and DMSO, play a crucial role in the global sulfur cycle, with their seasonality largely driven by biomass abundance and phytoplankton communities, and the spring maximum attributed to algal bloom. The sea-to-air fluxes of DMS also vary significantly between seasons, highlighting the need to consider specific blooms and seasonal uncertainties for accurate estimation of global DMS emissions.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Frances E. E. Hopkins, Stephen D. D. Archer, Thomas G. G. Bell, Parvadha Suntharalingam, Jonathan D. D. Todd
Summary: This Review discusses the production, cycling, and broader radiative effects of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the ocean and atmosphere. DMS supplies sulfur to the atmosphere, contributing to the production of atmospheric sulfate aerosols that influence cloud radiative properties and climate. Advances in molecular genetics and biogeochemical measurements have revealed the global prevalence of DMS-related processes. Better understanding and modeling of the biogeochemical processes controlling DMS production are crucial for estimating its impact on climate.
NATURE REVIEWS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Jingli Liu, Chun-Xu Xue, Jinyan Wang, Andrew T. Crombie, Ornella Carrion, Andrew W. B. Johnston, J. Colin Murrell, Ji Liu, Yanfen Zheng, Xiao-Hua Zhang, Jonathan D. Todd
Summary: This study used a novel DNA-SIP approach to identify key microorganisms actively utilizing DMSP and DMS as carbon sources in marine environments. The findings highlight the diversity in microbial utilization of DMSP and the complexity of pathways involved, emphasizing the importance of microbial identification in marine environments.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jia-Wei Shen, Liang Zhao, Hao Wei
Summary: Understanding the response of oceanic dimethyl sulfide flux (F-DMS) to multi-pressures is crucial for the regional aerosol budget. Results from 4-group experiments show that the F-DMS in the Yellow and East China seas will increase under different climate change scenarios, and the peak in the 2050s will occur earlier than in the 1980s. Climate change will have a greater impact on F-DMS in the future, particularly due to changes in wind patterns.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felicity W. I. Kuek, Cherie A. Motti, Jia Zhang, Ira R. Cooke, Jonathan D. Todd, David J. Miller, David G. Bourne, Jean-Baptiste Raina
Summary: This study reveals that bacteria associated with corals can synthesize DMSP and may contribute to DMSP production by corals.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Li Wang, Ziyi Shen, Xinyi Cheng, Jiang-Shiou Hwang, Yizhe Guo, Mingye Sun, Junwei Cao, Rulong Liu, Jiasong Fang
Summary: Hydrothermal vent (HTV) systems are important habitats for extremophiles and material/energy cycles in the ocean. While previous studies have focused on deep-sea HTVs, little is known about shallow-water HTVs (SW-HTVs). In this study, metagenomes of sulfur-rich sediment samples from a SW-HTV in the western Pacific Ocean were analyzed. The results revealed the presence of genes related to aerobic and anaerobic respiration, as well as energy metabolism. Chemolithotrophic sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were found to be dominant, along with Desulfobacterota potentially involved in sulfur disproportionation. The findings highlight the complexity of the vent sediment environment and the importance of microbial interactions in sulfur cycles.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Delaney B. Kilgour, Gordon A. Novak, Jon S. Sauer, Alexia N. Moore, Julie Dinasquet, Sarah Amiri, Emily B. Franklin, Kathryn Mayer, Margaux Winter, Clare K. Morris, Tyler Price, Francesca Malfatti, Daniel R. Crocker, Christopher Lee, Christopher D. Cappa, Allen H. Goldstein, Kimberly A. Prather, Timothy H. Bertram
Summary: The oxidation of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emitted from the surface ocean contributes to cloud formation. This study investigates whether other sulfur-containing gases from marine sources also contribute to aerosol formation. The results show that DMS, methanethiol, and benzothiazole account for the majority of sulfur emissions, with non-DMS sulfur sources playing a significant role in the pre-bloom phase. The ratio of DMS to methanethiol emissions is influenced by bacterial sulfur demand and the availability of sulfur sources in seawater.
ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jia-Wei Shen, Liang Zhao, Hong-Hai Zhang, Hao Wei, Xinyu Guo
Summary: The study revealed that DMS concentrations in the Yellow and East China Seas varied seasonally, with higher levels in the Yellow Sea compared to the East China Sea, and were influenced by phytoplankton community and sea water temperature. Additionally, the timing of DMS peak was affected by phytoplankton community or temperature changes, while the magnitude of DMS was influenced by photolysis, with varying effect sizes spatially.
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kitack Lee, Jun-Seok Kim, Ki-Tae Park, Min-Ji Park, Eunho Jang, Kristinn Gudmundsson, Solveig R. Olafsdottir, Jon Olafsson, Young Jun Yoon, Bang -Yong Lee, Sae Yun Kwon, Jonghun Kam
Summary: In two spring blooms in the Icelandic Sea, the concentrations of chlorophyll-a and DMSP, as well as the DMSP lyase activity, were measured. The distribution of ocean parameters related to biology showed associations, but the statistical significance of the association varied between different ocean domains and years. The dominance of DMSP-rich phytoplankton indicated that variations in these organisms were likely a main factor influencing the statistical significance. The study also demonstrated the consistency between DMS production capacity and in situ ocean S data.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lei Xue, David J. Kieber
Summary: Research has identified a new source of acrylate in seawater as a product of the photolysis of dissolved organic matter (DOM). Photochemical production rates are positively correlated with seawater absorption coefficient and are mainly initiated by UV radiation, with UV-B and UV-A contributing to the total production.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xiaoqing Yu, Yanpei Zhuang, Xiaoxia Cai, Di Qi
Summary: Marginal seas play a crucial role in deep ocean dissolved silica (DSi) regeneration, especially productive marginal seas, which have a significant impact on accelerating the process.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Juan J. Roda-Garcia, Jose M. Haro-Moreno, Lukas A. Huschet, Francisco Rodriguez-Valera, Mario Lopez-Perez
Summary: The SAR116 clade of Alphaproteobacteria is a common group of heterotrophic bacteria in the ocean, but limited information exists about their ecology and genetic diversity due to the challenges of isolating pure cultures. By utilizing single-cell genomics and metagenomics, this study provides insights into the genomic diversity, distribution, and lifestyles within this clade, revealing different evolutionary trajectories in the genetic makeup of its two subclades. These findings highlight the importance of studying microbial evolutionary processes in closely related organisms facing similar environmental pressures.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Shengqian Zhou, Ying Chen, Adina Paytan, Haowen Li, Fanghui Wang, Yucheng Zhu, Tianjiao Yang, Yan Zhang, Ruifeng Zhang
Summary: The study found that terrestrial sources play a significant role in MSA in the East China Sea, while they are not as important in the Gulf of Aqaba. There is a good correlation between aerosol MSA and air mass exposure to surface phytoplankton biomass, which can help in constructing parameterizations for obtaining the spatiotemporal distributions of marine biogenic aerosol components using satellite ocean color datasets.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Marta Masdeu-Navarro, Jean-Francois Mangot, Lei Xue, Miguel Cabrera-Brufau, Stephanie G. Gardner, David J. Kieber, Jose M. Gonzalez, Rafel Simo
Summary: Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are found in marine ecosystems, including coral reefs, but their light-driven dynamics are poorly understood. A study in French Polynesia found that VOC and DMSPC concentrations varied with microbial abundances in coral reefs.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Xiujie Liu, Yunhui Zhang, Hao Sun, Siyin Tan, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: The microbial cycling of DMSP and resulting gaseous catabolites DMS or MeSH is important for the global sulfur cycle and climate regulation. The sea surface microlayer (SML) is crucial for the generation and emission of DMS and MeSH. This study investigates the differences in DMS/DMSP, bacterial community structure, and key bacterial DMSP metabolic genes between SML and subsurface seawater (SSW) samples in the eastern China marginal seas. The results showed significant spatiotemporal differences in DMSP synthesis and degradation in the SML, with higher activity compared to SSW.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Gregory D. Rix, Jonathan D. Todd, Andrew L. Neal, Charles A. Brearley
Summary: HPLC methods are effective for predicting phytase activity, simplifying candidate selection, and revealing diversity of phytases. Combining with 16S sequencing and bioinformatics can uncover the contribution of MINPP activity to soil phytase activity.
MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biology
Chun-Yang Li, Xiu-Juan Wang, Xiu-Lan Chen, Qi Sheng, Shan Zhang, Peng Wang, Mussa Quareshy, Branko Rihtman, Xuan Shao, Chao Gao, Fuchuan Li, Shengying Li, Weipeng Zhang, Xiao-Hua Zhang, Gui-Peng Yang, Jonathan D. Todd, Yin Chen, Yu-Zhong Zhang
Summary: DMSP is an important organosulfur molecule in marine environments, and DddX is a novel ATP-dependent DMSP lyase with a distinct catalytic mechanism, potentially playing a significant role in DMSP/DMS cycles.
Article
Microbiology
Ji Liu, Yunhui Zhang, Jingli Liu, Haohui Zhong, Beth T. Williams, Yanfen Zheng, Andrew R. J. Curson, Chuang Sun, Hao Sun, Delei Song, Brett Wagner Mackenzie, Ana Bermejo Martinez, Jonathan D. Todd, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: This study reveals that heterotrophic bacteria significantly contribute to the marine DMSP pool in the East China Sea (ECS), with their contribution increasing with water depth and being highest in seabed surface sediment. Different profiles of DMSP-producing bacteria exist between seawater and sediment samples, and there are still many novel producing taxa to be discovered, especially in the sediment.
Article
Microbiology
Chun-Xu Xue, Heyu Lin, Xiao-Yu Zhu, Jiwen Liu, Yunhui Zhang, Gary Rowley, Jonathan D. Todd, Meng Li, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: Metagenomics and metatranscriptomics are powerful methods for uncovering key micro-organisms and processes driving biogeochemical cycling. However, databases and normalization models for depicting biogeochemical pathways are lacking. This study presents DiTing, a tool for inferring and comparing biogeochemical pathways from metagenomic/metatranscriptomic data, which has been successfully applied to a wide range of datasets.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jinchang Liang, Jiwen Liu, Yuanchao Zhan, Shun Zhou, Chun-Xu Xue, Chuang Sun, Yu Lin, Chunle Luo, Xuchen Wang, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: The study found that bacterial community rapidly successions in response to Ulva prolifera-derived DOM inputs, with the Vibrio of Gammaproteobacteria robustly growing over short timescales and some genera of Flavobacteriia growing rapidly at higher DOM concentrations. These bacterial responses may contribute to environmental restoration but also pose a health threat due to the potential pathogenic Vibrio bloom.
ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Hao Sun, Ji Liu, Siyin Tan, Yanfen Zheng, Xiaolei Wang, Jinchang Liang, Jonathan D. Todd, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: In the Changjiang Estuary, bacterial DMSP producers and their related genes show higher abundance and transcription levels in seawater samples compared to freshwater samples along the salinity gradient, with a more prominent presence in summer than in winter samples. DMSP cleavage is likely the dominant catabolic pathway, with DMSP lyase genes being significantly more abundant than the demethylase gene dmdA. This study serves as a model for future research on microbial DMSP cycling in estuarine environments.
ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ben A. Wagstaff, Jennifer Pratscher, Peter Paolo L. Rivera, Edward S. Hems, Elliot Brooks, Martin Rejzek, Jonathan D. Todd, J. Colin Murrell, Robert A. Field
Summary: The research revealed that Prymnesium parvum microalgae causing harmful algal blooms in water bodies produces toxins affecting ecology and economy. The use of molecular techniques identified the presence of this microalgae in blooms causing fish kills in the UK, including detection of B-type prymnesin toxins for the first time in the area. The study suggested a correlation between blooms and rising temperatures, and demonstrated that low-dose hydrogen peroxide treatment is an effective strategy to control the spread of the algae blooms in enclosed water bodies.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Yunhui Zhang, Kai Sun, Chuang Sun, Xiaochong Shi, Jonathan D. Todd, Xiao-Hua Zhang
Summary: This study explored microbial DMSP production and cycling potential in South China Sea sediment, revealing that bacteria, not algae, are significant producers of DMSP in sediment. The abundance of bacteria with the potential to produce DMSP decreased with sediment depth, and distinct DMSP-producing bacterial groups existed in surface and subseafloor sediment samples. Further research is needed to uncover the DMSP biosynthesis genes/pathways in novel DMSP-producing bacteria.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ming Peng, Chun-Yang Li, Xiu-Lan Chen, Beth T. Williams, Kang Li, Ya-Nan Gao, Peng Wang, Ning Wang, Chao Gao, Shan Zhang, Marie C. Schoelmerich, Jillian F. Banfield, J. Benjamin Miller, Nick E. Le Brun, Jonathan D. Todd, Yu-Zhong Zhang
Summary: This study characterizes the structure and mechanism of the DMSP synthesis enzyme MmtN and identifies functional MmtN enzymes in various organisms. The study provides important insights into SMM and/or DMSP production and proposes additional roles for these compounds.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Felicity W. I. Kuek, Cherie A. Motti, Jia Zhang, Ira R. Cooke, Jonathan D. Todd, David J. Miller, David G. Bourne, Jean-Baptiste Raina
Summary: This study reveals that bacteria associated with corals can synthesize DMSP and may contribute to DMSP production by corals.
FRONTIERS IN MARINE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jingli Liu, Chun-Xu Xue, Jinyan Wang, Andrew T. Crombie, Ornella Carrion, Andrew W. B. Johnston, J. Colin Murrell, Ji Liu, Yanfen Zheng, Xiao-Hua Zhang, Jonathan D. Todd
Summary: This study used a novel DNA-SIP approach to identify key microorganisms actively utilizing DMSP and DMS as carbon sources in marine environments. The findings highlight the diversity in microbial utilization of DMSP and the complexity of pathways involved, emphasizing the importance of microbial identification in marine environments.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregory D. Rix, Colleen Sprigg, Hayley Whitfield, Andrew M. Hemmings, Jonathan D. Todd, Charles A. Brearley
Summary: Phylogenetic analysis, homology modelling, and biochemical methods were used to study a phytase from a Gram-negative soil bacterium. The enzyme showed stability in solution, broad pH activity profile, and specific substrate binding pockets. The transcription of the phytase gene was affected by environmental conditions.
Article
Ecology
Chun-Yang Li, Michaela A. Mausz, Andrew Murphy, Nan Zhang, Xiu-Lan Chen, Shu-Yan Wang, Chao Gao, Maria M. Aguilo-Ferretjans, Eleonora Silvano, Ian D. E. A. Lidbury, Hui-Hui Fu, Jonathan D. Todd, Yin Chen, Yu-Zhong Zhang
Summary: Through genomics analyses and biochemical analyses, a DMSP-specific transporter, DmpXWV, was identified in the marine bacteria Ruegeria pomeroyi DSS-3. The substrate binding protein of DmpXWV, DmpX, showed high specificity and affinity towards DMSP. DmpX proteins are prevalent in cosmopolitan marine bacteria, and dmpX transcription is consistently high in the global ocean. This study provides new insights into DMSP transport and the environmental adaptation of marine bacteria.
Article
Ecology
Rachel Stirrup, Michaela A. Mausz, Eleonora Silvano, Andrew Murphy, Richard Guillonneau, Mussa Quareshy, Branko Rihtman, Maria Aguilo Ferretjans, Ruo He, Jonathan D. Todd, Feng Chen, David J. Scanlan, Yin Chen
Summary: Lipids play a crucial role in maintaining cell integrity and homeostasis. The cosmopolitan marine roseobacter clade (MRC) and SAR11 clade bacteria produce a variety of amino acid-containing lipids. The study reveals that these lipids are present in both the inner and outer membranes of MRC bacteria. The inability to produce these lipids impacts membrane proteome, nutrient transport, competitiveness, and phage attachment.
Article
Ecology
Chun-Yang Li, Hai-Yan Cao, Qing Wang, Ornella Carrion, Xiaoyu Zhu, Jie Miao, Peng Wang, Xiu-Lan Chen, Jonathan D. D. Todd, Yu-Zhong Zhang
Summary: DMS is a major biosulfur source in the atmosphere and plays a crucial role in global sulfur cycling and potential climate regulation. It is now discovered that the MddA enzyme can methylate inorganic H2S to DMS, expanding its significance in various environments. This finding suggests that the importance of MddA-driven methylation of inorganic H2S to global DMS production and sulfur cycling has been considerably underestimated.