Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia

The remote Dallol Hot Springs, an active hydrothermal system in the volcanic region of Danakil (Ethiopia), is an interesting yet poorly studied polyextreme environment for investigating the limits of life. Here, we explored the presence of signs of life in five samples of sinter deposits at Dallol,...

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Autores: Carrizo, Daniel, Sánchez-García, Laura, Rodriguez, Nuria, Gómez, Felipe
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versão publicada
Data de publicação:2019
País:España
Recursos:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
Repositório:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
OAI Identifier:oai:digital.csic.es:10261/416304
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/416304
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85074274753
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Polyextreme environments
Bulk stable isotopes
Dallol hydrothermal system
Limits of life
Lipid biomarkers
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spelling Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in EthiopiaCarrizo, DanielSánchez-García, LauraRodriguez, NuriaGómez, FelipePolyextreme environmentsBulk stable isotopesDallol hydrothermal systemLimits of lifeLipid biomarkersThe remote Dallol Hot Springs, an active hydrothermal system in the volcanic region of Danakil (Ethiopia), is an interesting yet poorly studied polyextreme environment for investigating the limits of life. Here, we explored the presence of signs of life in five samples of sinter deposits at Dallol, by means of lipid biomarkers and stable isotope composition. The results reveal the existence of biological material with predominance of (presently or recently active) microbial sources, according to the relative abundance of low-over-high molecular weight moieties (n-alkanes, n-carboxylic acids, or n-alkanols), and the detection of diverse microbial-diagnostic compounds (i.e., monomethyl alkanes; C16:1 ω7, C18:1 ω9, C18:1 ω10, C18:2 ω6,9 and iso/anteiso C15 and C17 carboxylic acids; or short-chained dicarboxylic acids). The molecular lipid patterns at Dallol suggest a microbial community largely composed of thermophilic members of the Aquificae, Thermotogae, Chroroflexi, or Proteobacteria phyla, as well as microbial consortia of phototrophs (e.g., Cyanobacteria-Chloroflexi) in lower-temperature and higher-pH niches. Autotrophic sources most likely using the Calvin cycle, together with the acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) pathway, were inferred from the depleted bulk δ13C ratios (-25.9/-22.6‰), while sulfate-reducing bacteria were considered according to enriched sulfate (7.3/11.7‰) and total sulfur (20.5/8.2‰) δ34S ratios. The abundance of functionalized hydrocarbons (i.e., n-carboxylic acids and n-alkanols) and the distinct even-over-odd predominance/preference on the typically odd n-alkanes (CPIalkanes ≤ 1) pointed to active or recent microbial metabolisms. This study documents the detection of biosignatures in the polyextreme environment of Dallol and raises the possibility of finding life or its remnants in other remote locations on Earth, where the harsh environmental conditions would lead to expect otherwise. These findings are relevant for understanding the limits of life and have implications for searching for hypothetical life vestiges in extreme environments beyond Earth.D. Carrizo and L. Sánchez acknowledge the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO/FEDER) for funding their respective projects RYC-2014-19446 and CGL2015-74254-JIN. D. Carrizo is co-I of NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI) CAN7 team Changing Planetary Environment and the Fingerprints of Life. The present study was carried out in the context of the Europlanet Project (H2020 RI), which received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 654208.Peer reviewedSage PublicationsMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad (España)NASA Astrobiology InstituteEuropean CommissionConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]202620262019info:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501Publisher's versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10261/416304https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85074274753reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSICinstname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)Inglés#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE##PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//CGL2015-74254-JINinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//RYC-2014-19446info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/654208https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1963Síinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:digital.csic.es:10261/4163042026-05-22T06:33:51Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
title Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
spellingShingle Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
Carrizo, Daniel
Polyextreme environments
Bulk stable isotopes
Dallol hydrothermal system
Limits of life
Lipid biomarkers
title_short Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
title_full Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
title_sort Lipid Biomarker and Carbon Stable Isotope Survey on the Dallol Hydrothermal System in Ethiopia
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Carrizo, Daniel
Sánchez-García, Laura
Rodriguez, Nuria
Gómez, Felipe
author Carrizo, Daniel
author_facet Carrizo, Daniel
Sánchez-García, Laura
Rodriguez, Nuria
Gómez, Felipe
author_role author
author2 Sánchez-García, Laura
Rodriguez, Nuria
Gómez, Felipe
author2_role author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
NASA Astrobiology Institute
European Commission
Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [https://ror.org/02gfc7t72]
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Polyextreme environments
Bulk stable isotopes
Dallol hydrothermal system
Limits of life
Lipid biomarkers
topic Polyextreme environments
Bulk stable isotopes
Dallol hydrothermal system
Limits of life
Lipid biomarkers
description The remote Dallol Hot Springs, an active hydrothermal system in the volcanic region of Danakil (Ethiopia), is an interesting yet poorly studied polyextreme environment for investigating the limits of life. Here, we explored the presence of signs of life in five samples of sinter deposits at Dallol, by means of lipid biomarkers and stable isotope composition. The results reveal the existence of biological material with predominance of (presently or recently active) microbial sources, according to the relative abundance of low-over-high molecular weight moieties (n-alkanes, n-carboxylic acids, or n-alkanols), and the detection of diverse microbial-diagnostic compounds (i.e., monomethyl alkanes; C16:1 ω7, C18:1 ω9, C18:1 ω10, C18:2 ω6,9 and iso/anteiso C15 and C17 carboxylic acids; or short-chained dicarboxylic acids). The molecular lipid patterns at Dallol suggest a microbial community largely composed of thermophilic members of the Aquificae, Thermotogae, Chroroflexi, or Proteobacteria phyla, as well as microbial consortia of phototrophs (e.g., Cyanobacteria-Chloroflexi) in lower-temperature and higher-pH niches. Autotrophic sources most likely using the Calvin cycle, together with the acetyl coenzyme A (CoA) pathway, were inferred from the depleted bulk δ13C ratios (-25.9/-22.6‰), while sulfate-reducing bacteria were considered according to enriched sulfate (7.3/11.7‰) and total sulfur (20.5/8.2‰) δ34S ratios. The abundance of functionalized hydrocarbons (i.e., n-carboxylic acids and n-alkanols) and the distinct even-over-odd predominance/preference on the typically odd n-alkanes (CPIalkanes ≤ 1) pointed to active or recent microbial metabolisms. This study documents the detection of biosignatures in the polyextreme environment of Dallol and raises the possibility of finding life or its remnants in other remote locations on Earth, where the harsh environmental conditions would lead to expect otherwise. These findings are relevant for understanding the limits of life and have implications for searching for hypothetical life vestiges in extreme environments beyond Earth.
publishDate 2019
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2019
2026
2026
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
Publisher's version
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv http://hdl.handle.net/10261/416304
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85074274753
url http://hdl.handle.net/10261/416304
https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/85074274753
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv #PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//CGL2015-74254-JIN
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/MINECO//RYC-2014-19446
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/654208
https://doi.org/10.1089/ast.2018.1963
Sí
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sage Publications
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Sage Publications
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:DIGITAL.CSIC. Repositorio Institucional del CSIC
instname:Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
instname_str Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)
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