Microbial functional groups and molecular mechanisms for biomineralization in hydrothermal vents

Abstract:

Deep-sea hydrothermal fields are rich in iron, zinc, copper and other metal-bearing minerals (sulfides, oxides, carbonates, etc) and inorganic gases (H2S, H2, CO2, CH4), which are unique ecosystems. Microbes, the base of the food chain, can control or induce the mineralization and thus influence biogeochemical cycling in deep-sea hydrothermal fields. Different types of microbial functional groups are involved in biomineralization processes, such as sulfur-oxidizing microbe, metal-oxidizing microbe, sulfur-reducing microbe, and metal-reducing microbe. Their phylogenetic diversity, molecular mechanisms for biomineralization and the prospect of microbial biomineralization were mentioned in the paper.