Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are highly productive biodiversity hotspots in the deep ocean supported by chemosynthetic microorganisms. Prominent features of these systems are sulfide chimneys emanating high-temperature hydrothermal fluids. While several studies have investigated the microbial diversity in both active and inactive sulfide chimneys that have been extinct for up to thousands of years, little is known about chimneys that have ceased activity more recently, as well as the microbial succession occurring during the transition from active to inactive chimneys. Genome-resolved metagenomics was applied to an active and a recently extinct (~ 7 years) sulfide chimney from the 9–10° N hydrothermal vent field on the East Pacific Rise. Full-length 16S rRNA gene and a total of 173 high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) were retrieved for comparative analysis. In the active chimney (L-vent), sulfide- and/or hydrogen-oxidizing Campylobacteria and Aquificae with the potential for denitrification were identified as the dominant community members and primary producers, fixing carbon through the reductive tricarboxylic acid (rTCA) cycle. In contrast, the microbiome of the recently extinct chimney (M-vent) was largely composed of heterotrophs from various bacterial phyla, including Delta-/Beta-/Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. Gammaproteobacteria were identified as the main primary producers, using the oxidation of metal sulfides and/or iron oxidation coupled to nitrate reduction to fix carbon through the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle. Further analysis revealed a phylogenetically distinct Nitrospirae cluster that has the potential to oxidize sulfide minerals coupled to oxygen and/or nitrite reduction, as well as for sulfate reduction, and that might serve as an indicator for the early stages of chimneys after venting has ceased. This study sheds light on the composition, metabolic functions, and succession of microbial communities inhabiting deep-sea hydrothermal vent sulfide chimneys. Collectively, microbial succession during the life span of a chimney could be described to proceed from a “fluid-shaped” microbial community in newly formed and actively venting chimneys supported by the oxidation of reductants in the hydrothermal fluid to a “mineral-shaped” community supported by the oxidation of minerals after hydrothermal activity has ceased. Remarkably, the transition appears to occur within the first few years, after which the communities stay stable for thousands of years.

中文翻译：

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深海热液喷口硫化物烟囱从活动阶段过渡到非活动阶段的微生物演替。

深海热液喷口是深海中由化学合成微生物支持的高产生物多样性热点。这些系统的突出特点是产生高温热液的硫化物烟囱。尽管已有几项研究调查了已经灭绝了数千年的活性和非活性硫化物烟囱中的微生物多样性，但对于最近停止活动的烟囱以及从活性烟囱过渡期间发生的微生物演替知之甚少到不活动的烟囱。基因组解析的宏基因组学被应用于东太平洋上升沿9-10°N热液喷口田中活跃的，最近灭绝的（〜7年）硫化物烟囱。检索了全长16S rRNA基因和总共173个高质量的元基因组组装基因组（MAG），以进行比较分析。在活性烟囱（L-vent）中，具有反硝化潜能的硫化物和/或氢氧化弯曲杆菌和Aquificae被确定为主要的社区成员和主要生产者，它们通过还原性三羧酸（rTCA）循环固定碳。相反，最近灭绝的烟囱（M-vent）的微生物组主要由来自各种细菌门的异养生物组成，包括Delta- / Beta- / Alphaproteobacteria和拟杆菌。使用金属硫化物的氧化和/或铁的氧化与硝酸盐的还原相结合，从而通过Calvin-Benson-Bassham（CBB）循环固定碳，从而确定了伽玛变形杆菌为主要的主要生产者。进一步的分析显示，系统发育上独特的硝化螺菌簇具有氧化与氧和/或亚硝酸盐还原作用相结合的硫化物矿物以及硫酸盐还原作用的潜力，并且可以作为烟囱停止通风后早期阶段的指示。这项研究揭示了居住在深海热液喷口硫化物烟囱中的微生物群落的组成，代谢功能和演替。总的来说，在烟囱寿命期间的微生物演替可以描述为从新形成并主动排出的烟囱中的“流体形”微生物群落开始，该烟囱通过热液中还原剂的氧化而得到支持，通向“矿物形”群落。在水热活动停止后，由矿物的氧化所支撑。值得注意的是