Disentangling the drivers of functional complexity at the metagenomic level in Shark Bay microbial mat microbiomes

A groundbreaking metagenomic analysis of Shark Bay's microbial mats reveals the functional complexity underlying its biogeochemical cycles, particularly carbon fixation via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway. The study identified 87 medium-to-high-quality metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), including novel bins under the Asgard archaeal groups Thorarchaetoa and Lokiarchaeota. Key pathways for sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus cycling, and environmental adaptation—such as UV resistance, hypersalinity tolerance, and heavy metal resistance—were mapped at a millimeter scale using shotgun sequencing on the Illumina NextSeq 500 platform. Over-representation of genes like those for sulfate assimilation, methanogenesis, and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase suggests specialized carbon storage and microbial interactions. The research also highlights putative viral defensive mechanisms, offering new models for how biogeochemical processes and adaptive responses partition in these extreme environments.

Wong, H. L., White, R. A., Visscher, P. T., Charlesworth, J. C., Vázquez-Campos, X., & Burns, B. P. (2018). Disentangling the drivers of functional complexity at the metagenomic level in Shark Bay microbial mat microbiomes. The ISME Journal, 12(11), 2619–2639. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-018-0208-8