Summary of project PR002822
This data is available at the NIH Common Fund's National Metabolomics Data Repository (NMDR) website, the Metabolomics Workbench, https://www.metabolomicsworkbench.org, where it has been assigned Project ID PR002822. The data can be accessed directly via it's Project DOI: 10.21228/M8WG3X This work is supported by NIH grant, U2C- DK119886. See: https://www.metabolomicsworkbench.org/about/howtocite.php
| Project ID: | PR002822 |
| Project DOI: | doi: 10.21228/M8WG3X |
| Project Title: | Diel light dynamics regulate arsenic methylation in cyanobacteria and in microbial mats |
| Project Summary: | The ability of microorganisms to biomethylate arsenic has ancient origins. The primary biomethylation product, trivalent monomethylarsonous acid (MMAIII), is highly toxic and oxidation to the less harmful pentavalent species requires molecular oxygen. As arsenic biomethylation evolved before the Great Oxidation Event, it has been hypothesized that early microorganisms may have used MMAIII as an antibiotic. To explore this in the context of early cyanobacterial mats creating localized oxygen oases, we assessed the light- and oxygen-dependent dynamics of arsenic methylation in cyanobacterial cultures and in an ancient ocean analog cyanobacterial mat (Laguna Pozo Bravo, Argentina). During dark and anoxic conditions Synechococcus sp. SAG2156 mainly produced MMAIII, whereas in the light dimethylarsinic acid (DMAV) was released. We propose that methylation levels are regulated by the availability of reduced thioredoxin, crucial for preparing the methyltransferase ArsM for the next methylation step of MMA to DMA. This availability is governed by photosynthesis. Accumulation of MMA under anoxic conditions at night and of DMA during the day was also observed in the porewater of the natural microbial mat. Metatranscriptomics revealed that mat inhabitants responded, for instance, by increased expression of arsH, facilitating oxidation of MMAIII during daytime oxic conditions. Our results overall show that cyanobacteria may employ MMAIII as an antibiotic, but only transiently at night. Beyond providing insights about environmental factors that have shaped the biosphere over geological time, the role of light and oxygen in the biogeochemistry of methylated arsenic compounds is critical for assessing their toxicity and potential health effects. |
| Institute: | Universität Phillips-Marburg |
| Last Name: | Doherty |
| First Name: | Daniel |
| Address: | Hans-Meerwein-Straße 4, 35043 Marburg, Germany |
| Email: | dohertyd@staff.uni-marburg.de |
| Phone: | +4915204161820 |
Summary of all studies in project PR002822
| Study ID | Study Title | Species | Institute | Analysis(* : Contains Untargted data) | Release Date | Version | Samples | Download(* : Contains raw data) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST004469 | Diel light dynamics regulate arsenic methylation in cyanobacteria and in microbial mats | Synechococcus sp. SAG2156 | Universität Phillips-Marburg | MS* | 2026-01-12 | 1 | 4 | Uploaded data (2.6G)* |
