Vitamin B₁₂ Auxotrophy in Isolates from the Deep Subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt

Vitamin B-12 is an enzymatic cofactor that is essential for both eukaryotes and prokaryotes. The development of life in extreme environments depends on cofactors such as vitamin B-12 as well. The genomes of twelve microorganisms isolated from the deep subsurface of the Iberian Pyrite Belt have been analyzed in search of enzymatic activities that require vitamin B-12 or are involved in its synthesis and import. Results have revealed that vitamin B-12 is needed by these microorganisms for several essential enzymes such as ribonucleotide reductase, methionine synthase and epoxyqueosine reductase. Isolate Desulfosporosinus sp. DEEP is the only analyzed genome that holds a set core of proteins that could lead to the production of vitamin B-12. The rest are dependent on obtaining it from the subsurface oligotrophic environment in which they grow. Sought proteins involved in the import of vitamin B-12 are not widespread in the sample. The dependence found in the genomes of these microorganisms is supported by the production of vitamin B-12 by microorganisms such as Desulfosporosinus sp. DEEP, showing that the operation of deep subsurface biogeochemical cycles is dependent on cofactors such as vitamin B-12.