Analysis of nearly 3000 archaeal genomes from terrestrial geothermal springs sheds light on interconnected biogeochemical processes

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 4066 - 16
• Main Authors: Qi, Yan-Ling, Chen, Ya-Ting, Xie, Yuan-Guo, Li, Yu-Xian, Rao, Yang-Zhi, Li, Meng-Meng, Xie, Qi-Jun, Cao, Xing-Ru, Chen, Lei, Qu, Yan-Ni, Yuan, Zhen-Xuan, Xiao, Zhi-Chao, Lu, Lu, Jiao, Jian-Yu, Shu, Wen-Sheng, Li, Wen-Jun, Hedlund, Brian P., Hua, Zheng-Shuang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 14.05.2024; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 38/39; 38/91; 45/23; 631/326/26/2523; 631/326/26/2526; 704/158/855; Archaea; Archaea - classification; Archaea - genetics; Biodiversity; Biogeochemical cycles; Biogeochemistry; China; Ecological niches; Ecosystem; Genome, Archaeal; Genomes; Genomics; High temperature; Hot springs; Hot Springs - microbiology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrogen metabolism; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Metabolism; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Metagenomics - methods; multidisciplinary; Niches; Phylogeny; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Species diversity; Sulfur; Sulfur - metabolism; Temperature; China
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48498-5

Terrestrial geothermal springs are physicochemically diverse and host abundant populations of Archaea. However, the diversity, functionality, and geological influences of these Archaea are not well understood. Here we explore the genomic diversity of Archaea in 152 metagenomes from 48 geothermal springs in Tengchong, China, collected from 2016 to 2021. Our dataset is comprised of 2949 archaeal metagenome-assembled genomes spanning 12 phyla and 392 newly identified species, which increases the known species diversity of Archaea by ~48.6%. The structures and potential functions of the archaeal communities are strongly influenced by temperature and pH, with high-temperature acidic and alkaline springs favoring archaeal abundance over Bacteria. Genome-resolved metagenomics and metatranscriptomics provide insights into the potential ecological niches of these Archaea and their potential roles in carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and hydrogen metabolism. Furthermore, our findings illustrate the interplay of competition and cooperation among Archaea in biogeochemical cycles, possibly arising from overlapping functional niches and metabolic handoffs. Taken together, our study expands the genomic diversity of Archaea inhabiting geothermal springs and provides a foundation for more incisive study of biogeochemical processes mediated by Archaea in geothermal ecosystems. Here, Qi et al. assembled ~3000 archaeal genomes from hot springs, capturing temporal dynamics and environmental diversity, and systematically explored functional niches and metabolic handoffs, shedding light on Archaea’s role in biogeochemical cycling.