Articles | Volume 21, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5233-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5233-2024
Research article
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25 Nov 2024
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 25 Nov 2024

Microbial strong organic-ligand production is tightly coupled to iron in hydrothermal plumes

Colleen L. Hoffman, Patrick J. Monreal, Justine B. Albers, Alastair J. M. Lough, Alyson E. Santoro, Travis Mellett, Kristen N. Buck, Alessandro Tagliabue, Maeve C. Lohan, Joseph A. Resing, and Randelle M. Bundy

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Cited articles

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Apprill, A., Mcnally, S., Parsons, R., and Weber, L.: Minor revision to V4 region SSU rRNA 806R gene primer greatly increases detection of SAR11 bacterioplankton, Aquat. Microb. Ecol., 75, 129–137, https://doi.org/10.3354/ame01753, 2015. 
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Beaulieu, S. E. and Szafrański, K. M.: InterRidge Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields Version 3.4, PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.917894, 2020. 
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In their study, Hoffmann and co-workers provide new exciting data on the role of organic ligands in supporting elevated dissolved iron in hydrothermal vent plumes. The authors were able to detect siderophores (including amphiphilic types) in hydrothermal plumes at different sites along a 1,700 km section of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, pointing to microbial utilization of siderophores to access particulate hydrothermal iron.
Short summary
Hydrothermally derived iron can be transported kilometers away from deep-sea vents, representing a significant flux of vital micronutrients to the ocean. However, the mechanisms that support the stabilization of dissolved iron remain elusive. Using electrochemical, spectrometry, and genomic methods, we demonstrated that strong ligands exert an important control on iron in plumes, and high-affinity iron-binding siderophores were identified in several hydrothermal plume samples for the first time.
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