Deep-branching magnetotactic bacteria form intracellular carbonates enriched in trace metals
Intracellular biomineralization is a hallmark of animals and algae, yet among prokaryotes, it has traditionally been associated with a limited range of lineages and minerals. This study reveals that magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) from both the <i>Pseudomonadota</i> and the deep-branching <i>Nitrospirota</i> phyla are capable of intracellularly forming carbonate granules enriched in diverse divalent cations, including environmentally scarce trace metals Ba²⁺ and Ni²⁺, and biologically essential Mg²⁺. These findings significantly expand the known taxonomic and functional diversity of prokaryotic intracellular calcifiers. By integrating electron microscopy, metagenomics, and structural protein modeling, we propose a potential metal-selective transport system that facilitates trace element accumulation and carbonate precipitation. This work establishes a previously underappreciated role for MTB in trace metal biogeochemical cycling (i.e., Ba²⁺ and Ni²⁺) and suggests that intracellular calcification may be a more widespread bacterial trait than previously assumed.
Authors
- Yinzhao Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8715-1386)
- Fanqi Meng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9811-912X)
- Z. Cao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4858-6130)
- Yongxin Pan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4227-3061)
- Kelei Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8398-6077)
- Jinhua Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1622-6170)
- Rongrong Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1228-9345)
- Chaoqun Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8860-6900)
- Peiyu Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1923-3276)
- Andrew P. Roberts (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0566-8117)
Institutions
- King University (US)
- Australian National University (AU)
- Planetary Science Institute (US)
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
- Peking University (CN)
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics (AZ)
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) (CN)
- Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology (CN)
- Institute of Geology and Geophysics (CN)
- Division of Materials Science and Engineering (AU)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai) (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- mSystems
- Published
- 2025-11-12
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/msystems.01131-25
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.81