海洋环境中甲烷厌氧氧化机理及环境效应

作为全球碳循环的重要环节之一,甲烷厌氧氧化作用（Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane,AOM）不仅是微生物生态学领域最具科学魅力、充满学术争议的问题之一,也是调节地质历史时期地球环境和气候变化的重要因素之一。近年来,针对包括海洋在内的各种环境中的AOM展开了大量的研究,然而迄今为止,对该反应的运作机制仍缺乏足够了解,其中包括该作用对海洋环境和气候系统在过去、现在和未来的影响机理和程度问题,这说明对于甲烷最重要汇的了解还存在着盲区。以现代海洋地质环境中的AOM为研究对象,综述了其产生机理、反应底物、电子受体、以及涉及到其中的微生物等方面的最新研究成果,探讨了该作用对于地球环境、气候的影响意义及地质学启示,并尝试展望了需要进一步研究的几点方向,希望藉此能引起广大研究者的兴趣与重视。

Progress and Environmental Effect in Seafloor Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane

As a crucial part of the global carbon cycle, microbially mediated anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) moderates the input of methane to the atmosphere and helps regulate Earth’s climate by consuming methane produced in various marine, terrestrial, and subsurface environments. It remains one of the most tantalizing and controversial scientific issues in both microbial ecology and environmental science since more than three decades when this process has been recognized. Recently, numerous researches have been carried out to investigate the reaction especially in the marine sediments associated with methane seeps. Unfortunately, there is still a gap to fully understand this reaction mechanism. In this paper, the recent progress in modern seafloor AOM including reaction mechanism, substrate, kinetics and energy yield, electron accepters and the involved methanotrophic archaea (ANME) and other microbes are reviewed. Furthermore, the role of AOM in environmental effects and climate changes in the past, present and future is illustrated and highlighted and the future challenges are given in the last part of this paper. We hope that this review will shed new light on an improved understanding of the AOM process in marine sediments.