Genome-resolved discovery of Candidatus Vitaminotrophota reveals carbon fixation and multi-vitamin biosynthetic potential in hot springs
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Advanced Environmental Technology, School of Environment, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, PR China
- 2Archaeal Biology Centre, Synthetic Biology Research Center, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, PR China
- 3State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, PR China
- 4State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, PR China
Abstract
Geothermal environments harbor abundant microbial diversity, yet rare lineages remain poorly resolved, limiting understanding of ecosystem function and evolutionary innovation under energy limitation. Here, we describe Candidatus Vitaminotrophota, a previously unrecognized bacterial phylum represented by 35 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from Tengchong hot spring sediments, China. Phylogenomic analyses support a coherent internal taxonomy comprising one order, two families and four candidate genera. Metabolic reconstruction indicates a predominantly anaerobic, mixotrophic lifestyle, with widespread carbon fixation potential via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway and a noncanonical CODH/ACS architecture featuring divergent acsA paralogs. Nitrogenase structural genes (nifHDK) occur in two genera, suggesting diazotrophic potential in part of the lineage. All MAGs encode complete or near-complete cobalamin and pantothenate biosynthesis pathways, and most retain conserved thiamine pathway components, alongside transport systems consistent with corrinoid and metal acquisition. Ca. Vitaminotrophota dominated community-level cobalamin biosynthetic potential in several samples, reaching 99.11% and accounting for >50% in nearly half of the samples. Conserved flagellar and chemotaxis gene sets suggest capacity to navigate steep physicochemical gradients. These findings expand the phylogenetic and functional landscape of geothermal bacteria and identify Ca. Vitaminotrophota as a candidate contributor to carbon fixation and vitamin-mediated metabolic interactions in nutrient-limited hot springs.
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BibTeX
@article{xie2026genomeresolved,
title = {{Genome-resolved discovery of Candidatus Vitaminotrophota reveals carbon fixation and multi-vitamin biosynthetic potential in hot springs}},
author = {Yuan-Guo Xie and Xing-Ru Cao and Yan-Ling Qi and Lei Chen and Yan-Huan Mao and Yang Li and Ci-Jian Wang and Ze-Wei Li and Yan-Ni Qu and Wen-Jun Li and Zheng-Shuang Hua},
journal = {NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41522-026-01093-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-01093-6},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genome-resolved discovery of Candidatus Vitaminotrophota reveals carbon fixation and multi-vitamin biosynthetic potential in hot springs
AU - Yuan-Guo Xie
AU - Xing-Ru Cao
AU - Yan-Ling Qi
AU - Lei Chen
AU - Yan-Huan Mao
AU - Yang Li
AU - Ci-Jian Wang
AU - Ze-Wei Li
AU - Yan-Ni Qu
AU - Wen-Jun Li
AU - Zheng-Shuang Hua
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/13
JO - NPJ Biofilms and Microbiomes
DO - 10.1038/s41522-026-01093-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41522-026-01093-6
AB - Geothermal environments harbor abundant microbial diversity, yet rare lineages remain poorly resolved, limiting understanding of ecosystem function and evolutionary innovation under energy limitation. Here, we describe Candidatus Vitaminotrophota, a previously unrecognized bacterial phylum represented by 35 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from Tengchong hot spring sediments, China. Phylogenomic analyses support a coherent internal taxonomy comprising one order, two families and four candidate genera. Metabolic reconstruction indicates a predominantly anaerobic, mixotrophic lifestyle, with widespread carbon fixation potential via the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway and a noncanonical CODH/ACS architecture featuring divergent acsA paralogs. Nitrogenase structural genes (nifHDK) occur in two genera, suggesting diazotrophic potential in part of the lineage. All MAGs encode complete or near-complete cobalamin and pantothenate biosynthesis pathways, and most retain conserved thiamine pathway components, alongside transport systems consistent with corrinoid and metal acquisition. Ca. Vitaminotrophota dominated community-level cobalamin biosynthetic potential in several samples, reaching 99.11% and accounting for >50% in nearly half of the samples. Conserved flagellar and chemotaxis gene sets suggest capacity to navigate steep physicochemical gradients. These findings expand the phylogenetic and functional landscape of geothermal bacteria and identify Ca. Vitaminotrophota as a candidate contributor to carbon fixation and vitamin-mediated metabolic interactions in nutrient-limited hot springs.
SN - 2055-5008
ER -