Deep-Sea Archaea Fix and Share Nitrogen in Methane-Consuming Microbial Consortia

Abstract

Balancing the Nitrogen Budget Setting the global budget for elements presents difficult challenges, such as accounting for possibly unknown sources or sinks. An unresolved imbalance in the oceanic nitrogen budget suggests that there may be additional sources of biological nitrogen fixation in the deep sea. Using high-resolution imaging techniques, Dekas et al. (p. 422 ; see the Perspective by Fulweiler ) observed direct assimilation of isotopically labeled N 2 by anaerobic methane-oxidizing archaea from deep marine sediment and the subsequent transfer of nitrogen to their sulfate-reducing bacterial symbionts. This slow and energetically costly conversion by archaea is dependent upon methane and requires physical contact with the associated bacterial partner. Such syntrophic consortia represent a potential source of nitrogen in the oceans and may help to balance the global nitrogen budget.