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Peer-reviewedCC BYFEMS microbiology ecology

Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs are widespread and active members of Greenland Ice Sheet microbiomes.

  • Christoph Keuschnig1
  • Helen K Feord1
  • Emily L M Broadwell2
  • Athanasios Zervas2
  • Martyn Tranter2
  • Alexandre M Anesio2
  • Liane G Benning1,3
  1. 1Department Geochemistry, Interface Geochemistry, GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, 14473, Potsdam, Germany.
  2. 2Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark.
  3. 3Department of Earth Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin, 12249, Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) hosts diverse microbial communities where glacier ice algae, snow algae, and cyanobacteria act as key primary producers across bare ice, snow, and cryoconite habitats, yet the ecological roles of associated heterotrophic prokaryotes remain poorly understood. Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAPs) are known to couple light harvesting to heterotrophy and enter trophic relationships with algae in marine systems, suggesting they may represent an important but underexplored functional group in supraglacial ecosystems. Using genome-resolved analyses of supraglacial metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from Greenland, we recovered nine AAP metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) (4% of the 229 recovered MAGs) consistently enriched in bare ice and cryoconite communities, but nearly absent in snow. A meta-analysis of 2 451 public metagenomes supported this cryospheric habitat association. AAP_MAGs were disproportionally enriched in thiosulfate oxidation and bicarbonate-dependent carbon assimilation pathways relative to other MAGs. Iron and CO oxidation pathways were broadly distributed across the GrIS microbiome, including in AAPs, together suggesting adaptation strategies in supraglacial ecosystems. Genomic evidence for algal coupling via sulfoquinovose degradation was limited. Overall, we document that AAPs are active and widespread in weathering crust habitats, highlighting their potential contributions to biogeochemical cycling in supraglacial ecosystems.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{keuschnig2026aerobic,
  title = {{Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs are widespread and active members of Greenland Ice Sheet microbiomes.}},
  author = {Christoph Keuschnig and Helen K Feord and Emily L M Broadwell and Athanasios Zervas and Martyn Tranter and Alexandre M Anesio and Liane G Benning},
  journal = {FEMS microbiology ecology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/femsec/fiag116},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42878705},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs are widespread and active members of Greenland Ice Sheet microbiomes.
AU  - Christoph Keuschnig
AU  - Helen K Feord
AU  - Emily L M Broadwell
AU  - Athanasios Zervas
AU  - Martyn Tranter
AU  - Alexandre M Anesio
AU  - Liane G Benning
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - FEMS microbiology ecology
DO  - 10.1093/femsec/fiag116
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42878705
AB  - The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) hosts diverse microbial communities where glacier ice algae, snow algae, and cyanobacteria act as key primary producers across bare ice, snow, and cryoconite habitats, yet the ecological roles of associated heterotrophic prokaryotes remain poorly understood. Aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs (AAPs) are known to couple light harvesting to heterotrophy and enter trophic relationships with algae in marine systems, suggesting they may represent an important but underexplored functional group in supraglacial ecosystems. Using genome-resolved analyses of supraglacial metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from Greenland, we recovered nine AAP metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) (4% of the 229 recovered MAGs) consistently enriched in bare ice and cryoconite communities, but nearly absent in snow. A meta-analysis of 2 451 public metagenomes supported this cryospheric habitat association. AAP_MAGs were disproportionally enriched in thiosulfate oxidation and bicarbonate-dependent carbon assimilation pathways relative to other MAGs. Iron and CO oxidation pathways were broadly distributed across the GrIS microbiome, including in AAPs, together suggesting adaptation strategies in supraglacial ecosystems. Genomic evidence for algal coupling via sulfoquinovose degradation was limited. Overall, we document that AAPs are active and widespread in weathering crust habitats, highlighting their potential contributions to biogeochemical cycling in supraglacial ecosystems.
SN  - 0168-6496
SN  - 1574-6941
ER  -