Metagenomic, (bio)chemical, and microscopic analyses reveal the potential for the cycling of sulfated EPS in Shark Bay pustular mats

Research at Shark Bay, Western Australia, reveals that sulfated extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) play a significant role in microbial interactions and carbon cycling within ancient peritidal pustular mats. Metagenomic analysis identified cyanobacteria as the primary producers of these sulfated polysaccharides, while enzymes like sulfatases and glycosyl hydrolases, detected across multiple bacterial clades, indicate active degradation processes. Biochemical and microscopic analyses confirmed that sulfur abundance correlates with cyanobacterial presence, suggesting a dynamic cycle of synthesis, modification, and degradation that influences biomineralization and microbial community structure.

Skoog, E. J., Moore, K. R., Gong, J., Ciccarese, D., Momper, L., Cutts, E. M., & Bosak, T. (2022). Metagenomic, (bio)chemical, and microscopic analyses reveal the potential for the cycling of sulfated EPS in Shark Bay pustular mats. ISME Communications, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-022-00128-1