Deep-sea bacteria discovered to play key role in sulfur cycle.
A deep-sea bacterium called Desulfovibrio marinus CS1 can create zero-valent sulfur by oxidizing sulfide. This bacterium uses specific proteins, PhsA and SQR, to convert thiosulfate into sulfide, which is then turned into zero-valent sulfur. When living in deep-sea cold seeps, the bacterium increases the production of these proteins, suggesting it forms zero-valent sulfur in its natural habitat. Similar proteins are found in other deep-sea sulfate reducing bacteria, indicating they may also play a role in zero-valent sulfur formation. This discovery adds new insight into how zero-valent sulfur is produced in deep-sea environments.