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Methanogenic and methanotrophic archaea play important roles in the global flux of methane. Culture-independent approaches are providing deeper insight into the diversity and evolution of methane-metabolizing microorganisms, but, until now, no compelling evidence has existed for methane metabolism in archaea outside the phylum Euryarchaeota. We performed metagenomic sequencing of a deep aquifer, recovering two near-complete genomes belonging to the archaeal phylum Bathyarchaeota (formerly known as the Miscellaneous Crenarchaeotal Group). These genomes contain divergent homologs of the genes necessary for methane metabolism, including those that encode the methyl–coenzyme M reductase (MCR) complex. Additional non-euryarchaeotal MCR-encoding genes identified in a range of environments suggest that unrecognized archaeal lineages may also contribute to global methane cycling. These findings indicate that methane metabolism arose before the last common ancestor of the Euryarchaeota and Bathyarchaeota.

The ecophysiology of one candidate methanogen class WSA2 (or Arc I) remains largely uncharacterized, despite the long history of research on Euryarchaeota methanogenesis. To expand our understanding of methanogen diversity and evolution, we metagenomically recover eight draft genomes for four WSA2 populations. Taxonomic analyses indicate that WSA2 is a distinct class from other Euryarchaeota. None of genomes harbor pathways for CO 2 -reducing and aceticlastic methanogenesis, but all possess H 2 and CO oxidation and energy conservation through H 2 -oxidizing electron confurcation and internal H 2 cycling. As the only discernible methanogenic outlet, they consistently encode a methylated thiol coenzyme M methyltransferase. Although incomplete, all draft genomes point to the proposition that WSA2 is the first discovered methanogen restricted to methanogenesis through methylated thiol reduction. In addition, the genomes lack pathways for carbon fixation, nitrogen fixation and biosynthesis of many amino acids. Acetate, malonate and propionate may serve as carbon sources. Using methylated thiol reduction, WSA2 may not only bridge the carbon and sulfur cycles in eutrophic methanogenic environments, but also potentially compete with CO 2 -reducing methanogens and even sulfate reducers. These findings reveal a remarkably unique methanogen ‘ Candidatus Methanofastidiosum methylthiophilus’ as the first insight into the sixth class of methanogens ‘ Candidatus Methanofastidiosa’.

Ecosystems are shaped by complex communities of mostly unculturable microbes. Metagenomes provide a fragmented view of such communities, but the ecosystem functions of major groups of organisms remain mysterious. To better characterize members of these communities, we developed methods to reconstruct genomes directly from mate-paired short-read metagenomes. We closed a genome representing the as-yet uncultured marine group II Euryarchaeota, assembled de novo from 1.7% of a metagenome sequenced from surface seawater. The genome describes a motile, photo-heterotrophic cell focused on degradation of protein and lipids and clarifies the origin of proteorhodopsin. It also demonstrates that high-coverage mate-paired sequence can overcome assembly difficulties caused by interstrain variation in complex microbial communities, enabling inference of ecosystem functions for uncultured members.

Methyl coenzyme-M reductase A (mcrA) clone libraries were generated from microbial DNA extracted from the rumen of cattle fed a roughage diet with and without supplementation of the antimethanogenic compound bromochloromethane. Bromochloromethane reduced total methane emissions by c. 30%, with a resultant increase in propionate and branched chain fatty acids. The mcrA clone libraries revealed that Methanobrevibacter spp. were the dominant species identified. A decrease in the incidence of Methanobrevibacter spp. from the clone library generated from bromochloromethane treatment was observed. In addition, a more diverse methanogenic population with representatives from Methanococcales, Methanomicrobiales and Methanosacinales orders was observed for the bromochloromethane library. Sequence data generated from these libraries aided in the design of an mcrA-targeted quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay. The reduction in methane production by bromochloromethane was associated with an average decrease of 34% in the number of methanogenic Archaea when monitored with this qPCR assay. Dissociation curve analysis of mcrA amplicons showed a clear difference in melting temperatures for Methanobrevibacter spp. (80-82 °C) and all other methanongens (84-86 °C). A decrease in the intensity of the Methanobrevibacter spp. specific peak and an increase for the other peak in the bromochloromethane-treated animals corresponded with the changes within the clone libraries.

The methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR) complex is a key enzyme in archaeal methane generation and has recently been proposed to also be involved in the oxidation of short-chain hydrocarbons including methane, butane, and potentially propane. The number of archaeal clades encoding the MCR continues to grow, suggesting that this complex was inherited from an ancient ancestor, or has undergone extensive horizontal gene transfer. Expanding the representation of MCR-encoding lineages through metagenomic approaches will help resolve the evolutionary history of this complex. Here, a near-complete Archaeoglobi metagenome-assembled genome (MAG; Ca . Polytropus marinifundus gen. nov. sp. nov.) was recovered from the deep subseafloor along the Juan de Fuca Ridge flank that encodes two divergent McrABG operons similar to those found in Ca . Bathyarchaeota and Ca . Syntrophoarchaeum MAGs. Ca . P. marinifundus is basal to members of the class Archaeoglobi, and encodes the genes for β-oxidation, potentially allowing an alkanotrophic metabolism similar to that proposed for Ca . Syntrophoarchaeum. Ca . P. marinifundus also encodes a respiratory electron transport chain that can potentially utilize nitrate, iron, and sulfur compounds as electron acceptors. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the Ca . P. marinifundus MCR operons were horizontally transferred, changing our understanding of the evolution and distribution of this complex in the Archaea.

This study describes reconstruction of two highly unusual archaeal genomes by de novo metagenomic assembly of multiple, deeply sequenced libraries from surface waters of Lake Tyrrell (LT), a hypersaline lake in NW Victoria, Australia. Lineage-specific probes were designed using the assembled genomes to visualize these novel archaea, which were highly abundant in the 0.1–0.8 μm size fraction of lake water samples. Gene content and inferred metabolic capabilities were highly dissimilar to all previously identified hypersaline microbial species. Distinctive characteristics included unique amino acid composition, absence of Gvp gas vesicle proteins, atypical archaeal metabolic pathways and unusually small cell size (approximately 0.6 μm diameter). Multi-locus phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that these organisms belong to a new major euryarchaeal lineage, distantly related to halophilic archaea of class Halobacteria. Consistent with these findings, we propose creation of a new archaeal class, provisionally named ‘Nanohaloarchaea’. In addition to their high abundance in LT surface waters, we report the prevalence of Nanohaloarchaea in other hypersaline environments worldwide. The simultaneous discovery and genome sequencing of a novel yet ubiquitous lineage of uncultivated microorganisms demonstrates that even historically well-characterized environments can reveal unexpected diversity when analyzed by metagenomics, and advances our understanding of the ecology of hypersaline environments and the evolutionary history of the archaea.

Methanogenic archaea are major contributors to the global carbon cycle and were long thought to belong exclusively to the euryarchaeal phylum. Discovery of the methanogenesis gene cluster methylcoenzyme M reductase (Mcr) in the Bathyarchaeota, and thereafter the Verstraetearchaeota, led to a paradigm shift, pushing back the evolutionary origin of methanogenesis to predate that of the Euryarchaeota. The methylotrophic methanogenesis found in the non-Euryarchaota distinguished itself from the predominantly hydrogenotrophic methanogens found in euryarchaeal orders as the former do not couple methanogenesis to carbon fixation through the reductive acetyl-CoA [Wood–Ljungdahl pathway (WLP)], which was interpreted as evidence for independent evolution of the two methanogenesis pathways. Here, we report the discovery of a complete and divergent hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis pathway in a thermophilic order of the Verstraetearchaeota, which we have named CandidatusMethanohydrogenales, as well as the presence of the WLP in the crenarchaeal order Desulfurococcales. Our findings support the ancient origin of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, suggest that methylotrophic methanogenesis might be a later adaptation of specific orders, and provide insight into how the transition from hydrogenotrophic to methylotrophic methanogenesis might have occurred.

Marine Euryarchaeota remain among the least understood major components of marine microbial communities. Marine group II Euryarchaeota (MG-II) are more abundant in surface waters (4–20% of the total prokaryotic community), whereas marine group III Euryarchaeota (MG-III) are generally considered low-abundance members of deep mesopelagic and bathypelagic communities. Using genome assembly from direct metagenome reads and metagenomic fosmid clones, we have identified six novel MG-III genome sequence bins from the photic zone (Epi1–6) and two novel bins from deep-sea samples (Bathy1–2). Genome completeness in those genome bins varies from 44% to 85%. Photic-zone MG-III bins corresponded to novel groups with no similarity, and significantly lower GC content, when compared with previously described deep-MG-III genome bins. As found in many other epipelagic microorganisms, photic-zone MG-III bins contained numerous photolyase and rhodopsin genes, as well as genes for peptide and lipid uptake and degradation, suggesting a photoheterotrophic lifestyle. Phylogenetic analysis of these photolyases and rhodopsins as well as their genomic context suggests that these genes are of bacterial origin, supporting the hypothesis of an MG-III ancestor that lived in the dark ocean. Epipelagic MG-III occur sporadically and in relatively small proportions in marine plankton, representing only up to 0.6% of the total microbial community reads in metagenomes. None of the reconstructed epipelagic MG-III genomes were present in metagenomes from aphotic zone depths or from high latitude regions. Most low-GC bins were highly enriched at the deep chlorophyll maximum zones, with the exception of Epi1, which appeared evenly distributed throughout the photic zone worldwide.

Since the discovery of archaeoplankton in 1992, the euryarchaeotal Marine Group II (MGII) remains uncultured and less understood than other planktonic archaea. We characterized the seasonal dynamics of MGII populations in the southern North Sea on a genomic and microscopic level over the course of four years. We recovered 34 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of MGIIa and MGIIb that corroborated proteorhodopsin-based photoheterotrophic lifestyles. However, MGIIa and MGIIb MAG genome sizes differed considerably (~1.9 vs. ~1.4 Mbp), as did their transporter, peptidase, flagella and sulfate assimilation gene repertoires. MGIIb populations were characteristic of winter samples, whereas MGIIa accounted for up to 23% of the community at the beginning of summer. Both clades consisted of annually recurring, sequence-discrete populations with low intra-population sequence diversity. Oligotyping of filtered cell-size fractions and microscopy consistently suggested that MGII cells were predominantly free-living. Cells were coccoid and ~0.7 µm in diameter, likely resulting in grazing avoidance. Based on multiple lines of evidence, we propose distinct niche adaptations of MGIIa and MGIIb Euryarchaeota populations that are characteristic of summer and winter conditions in the coastal North Sea.

Two enzymes are considered to be unique to the photosynthetic Calvin–Benson cycle: ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), responsible for CO 2 fixation, and phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Some archaea possess bona fide RuBisCOs, despite not being photosynthetic organisms, but are thought to lack PRK. Here we demonstrate the existence in methanogenic archaea of a carbon metabolic pathway involving RuBisCO and PRK, which we term ‘reductive hexulose-phosphate’ (RHP) pathway. These archaea possess both RuBisCO and a catalytically active PRK whose crystal structure resembles that of photosynthetic bacterial PRK. Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometric analysis of metabolites reveals that the RHP pathway, which differs from the Calvin–Benson cycle only in a few steps, is active in vivo . Our work highlights evolutionary and functional links between RuBisCO-mediated carbon metabolic pathways in methanogenic archaea and photosynthetic organisms. Whether the RHP pathway allows for autotrophy (that is, growth exclusively with CO 2 as carbon source) remains unknown. Although not photosynthetic, some archaea possess RuBisCO, one of the enzymes characteristic of the photosynthetic Calvin-Benson cycle, but apparently lack another one, phosphoribulokinase (PRK). Here the authors describe a carbon metabolic pathway in methanogenic archaea, involving RuBisCO and PRK.