Westermann, L.M. orcid.org/0000-0003-3479-4526, Lidbury, I.D.E.A. orcid.org/0000-0001-7190-315X, Li, C.-Y. orcid.org/0000-0002-1151-4897 et al. (11 more authors) (2023) Bacterial catabolism of membrane phospholipids links marine biogeochemical cycles. Science Advances, 9 (17). eadf5122. ISSN 2375-2548
Abstract
In marine systems, the availability of inorganic phosphate can limit primary production leading to bacterial and phytoplankton utilization of the plethora of organic forms available. Among these are phospholipids that form the lipid bilayer of all cells as well as released extracellular vesicles. However, information on phospholipid degradation is almost nonexistent despite their relevance for biogeochemical cycling. Here, we identify complete catabolic pathways for the degradation of the common phospholipid headgroups phosphocholine (PC) and phosphorylethanolamine (PE) in marine bacteria. Using Phaeobacter sp. MED193 as a model, we provide genetic and biochemical evidence that extracellular hydrolysis of phospholipids liberates the nitrogen-containing substrates ethanolamine and choline. Transporters for ethanolamine (EtoX) and choline (BetT) are ubiquitous and highly expressed in the global ocean throughout the water column, highlighting the importance of phospholipid and especially PE catabolism in situ. Thus, catabolic activation of the ethanolamine and choline degradation pathways, subsequent to phospholipid metabolism, specifically links, and hence unites, the phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon cycles.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | Copyright © 2023 The Authors, some rights reserved; exclusive licensee American Association for the Advancement of Science. No claim to original U.S. Government Works. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution license, which permits which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | Phospholipids; Ethanolamines; Choline; Ethanolamine; Bacteria; Nitrogen |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 16 May 2023 14:47 |
Last Modified: | 16 May 2023 14:47 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adf5122 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1126/sciadv.adf5122 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:199186 |