Biocrystallization and Environmental Archives. Revisiting the Urey’s "vital effect" Concept

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Mineralogy and Biogeochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2019) | Viewed by 11259

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CR2P, 8 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
Interests: coral and shell growth-modes at the micrometer and infra-micrometer levels; microstructure and fossilization: fossils as environmental archives; microstructural development of the pearl layers: from early post-grafting stages to nacre biomineralization
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Guest Editor
Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (LSCE), CNRS, CEA, UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
Interests: geochemistry of carbonates; biomineralization processes; proxies of environmental conditions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

During the last three decades a series of innovative physical methods applied to calcareous biominerals resulted in considerable changes regarding the concept of biocrystallization. Far from a simple chemical reaction leading to ionic-type precipitation of Ca-minerals within dedicated crystallization spaces, specifically secreted organic components are now considered as key-factors in the biocrystallization process by establishing a physiological link between intra- and extracellular areas.

However, no sensible progress has been made in the explanation of this intriguing property of biominerals hypothesized by H.C. Urey in his seminal 1951 paper: “We may ask whether there is a vital effect”. More than half a century later, capability of living organisms to record environmental parameters in their skeletons each of them with a species-specific bias remains largely enigmatic. That this biologically driven crystallization mechanism directly impacts the incorporation of geochemical proxies is clearly assessed by high resolution measurements having established that within a given specimen built by distinct microstructural layers parallel series of environmental signals are simultaneously recorded, each of them precisely associated to a distinct crystallization area.

δ18O measurements made on the skeleton of the deep sea coral Lophelia offer demonstrative evidence of the practical importance of this differential crystallization mechanism. Actually, two vital effects are simultaneously running during growth of this calcareous skeleton, making obvious the direct and very precise control exerted by the polyp on the composition of its underlying skeleton. Similar observations can be conducted about various isotopic fractionations or chemical partitioning in any kind of calcareous biological structure.

From intracellular concentration of amorphous calcium carbonate to extracellular crystallization of the nanometer sized grains that built the crystal-like units, steps of these complex processes have to be deciphered as potential contributors to specificity of the skeleton compositions. Not only is an improved understanding of the biocrystallization process essential to a reliable interpretation of the recorded messages, but the use of ancient archives is also dependent of the stability of biominerals through time. Taking into account the complexity of the initial organo-mineral assemblages, there is no doubt that the diagenetic status of ancient biominerals (i.e., validity of the recorded proxies), cannot be assess through a simple mineralogical control.

Taking advantage of our unprecedented analytical capabilities the scope of this Minerals issue is to trigger an up-to-date attempt to address the vital effect question that is still a major hampering factor in the use of calcareous skeletons as environmental archives. From investigations dealing with cellular processes to experiments in which mineralogical and crystallographic properties of naturally or experimentally produced Ca-carbonate materials will be compared to their specific chemical or isotopic properties. This special issue dedicated to the prophetic and still unexplained Urey’s hypothesis will be a milestone in the field.

Prof. Dr. Jean-Pierre Cuif
Dr. Claire Rollion-Bard
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • Biogenic carbonates
  • Geochemistry
  • Vital effects
  • Ca-carbonate precursors
  • Biocrystallisation
  • Microstructures

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 12800 KiB  
Article
Cold-Water Corals in Gas Hydrate Drilling Cores from the South China Sea: Occurrences, Geochemical Characteristics and Their Relationship to Methane Seepages
by Yinan Deng, Fang Chen, Niu Li, Meng Jin, Jun Cao, Hong Chen, Yang Zhou, Cong Wu, Chang Zhuang, Yi Zhao and Sihai Cheng
Minerals 2019, 9(12), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9120742 - 29 Nov 2019
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3888
Abstract
Cold-water corals (CWCs) are frequently found at cold seep areas. However, the relationship between fluid seepage and CWC development is not clear. Here, for the first time, we report the occurrences, species identification, mineralogy, carbon and oxygen isotopes, as well as elemental compositions [...] Read more.
Cold-water corals (CWCs) are frequently found at cold seep areas. However, the relationship between fluid seepage and CWC development is not clear. Here, for the first time, we report the occurrences, species identification, mineralogy, carbon and oxygen isotopes, as well as elemental compositions of fossil CWC skeletons from gas-hydrate-bearing sediment in drilling cores from the South China Sea (SCS). Three sites (GMGS-08, GMGS-09B, and GMGS-16) were investigated but CWCs were only found at one site (GMGS-09B). Interestingly, the CWCs were found in three horizons and they were all embedded with authigenic carbonates. Three genera of fossil CWCs (Crispatotrochus sp., Solenosmilia sp. and Enallopsammia sp.) were identified. The CWC fragments are predominantly aragonite. The CWCs exhibit δ13C values between −8.4‰ and −0.6‰ that are significantly higher than δ13C values of the associated seep carbonates (δ13C values with an average of −55.6‰, n = 19), which indicates a carbon source other than methane for the CWCs. It appears that authigenic carbonates provide a substratum for coral colonization. Bathymetric high points, appropriate water temperature and stronger bottom-water currents at site GMGS-09B might be crucial to keep conditions favorable for the growth of CWCs in the studied area. In addition, high trace-element concentrations of Cr, Ni, Pb, U, Ba, Th, and Sr suggest that the CWCs are influenced by strong fluid seepage that can reach the water-sediment interface, and associated microbial activity. Hence, it also becomes evident that CWCs in hydrocarbon-rich seepage areas not only provide a critical constraint on the impact of fluid emission on the bottom water chemistry, but also are likely to be very precise recorders of the end time of cold seep activity. Full article
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26 pages, 15735 KiB  
Article
Extracellular and Intracellular Biomineralization Induced by Bacillus licheniformis DB1-9 at Different Mg/Ca Molar Ratios
by Zuozhen Han, Xiao Gao, Hui Zhao, Maurice E. Tucker, Yanhong Zhao, Zhenpeng Bi, Juntong Pan, Guangzhen Wu and Huaxiao Yan
Minerals 2018, 8(12), 585; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8120585 - 11 Dec 2018
Cited by 39 | Viewed by 6852
Abstract
Biomineralization has become a research hotspot and attracted widespread attention in the field of carbonate sedimentology. In this study, precipitation of carbonate minerals was induced by Bacillus licheniformis DB1-9 bacteria, (identity confirmed with its phylogenetic tree), to further explore the biomineralization mechanisms. During [...] Read more.
Biomineralization has become a research hotspot and attracted widespread attention in the field of carbonate sedimentology. In this study, precipitation of carbonate minerals was induced by Bacillus licheniformis DB1-9 bacteria, (identity confirmed with its phylogenetic tree), to further explore the biomineralization mechanisms. During experiments, lasting up to 24 days with varying Mg/Ca molar ratios and regular monitoring of conditions, ammonia and carbonic anhydrase are released by the bacteria, resulting in a pH increase. Carbonic anhydrase could have promoted carbon dioxide hydration to produce bicarbonate and carbonate ions, and so promoted supersaturation to facilitate the precipitation of carbonate minerals. These include rhombohedral, dumbbell-shaped, and elongated calcite crystals; aragonite appears in the form of mineral aggregates. In addition, spheroidal and fusiform minerals are precipitated. FTIR results show there are organic functional groups, such as C–O–C and C=O, as well as the characteristic peaks of calcite and aragonite; these indicate that there is a close relationship between the bacteria and the minerals. Ultrathin slices of the bacteria analyzed by HRTEM, SAED, EDS, and STEM show that precipitate within the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) has a poor crystal structure, and intracellular granular areas have no crystal structure. Fluorescence intensity and STEM results show that calcium ions can be transported from the outside to the inside of the cells. This study provides further insights to our understanding of biomineralization mechanisms induced by microorganisms. Full article
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