Hadal trench sediments as key ecological reservoir for prokaryotic evolution
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Hadal zones serve as an ancient reservoir, harboring more ancient microbial lineages than non-hadal zones.
Evolutionary distances correlate with depth differences, evidenced by vertical shift in genomic features.
Hadal microbes likely exchange across trenches via deep-sea currents to maintain genetic connectivity.
Divergence of typical ancient lineages predates the formation of contemporary oceanic trenches.
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ABSTRACT
The evolutionary ecology of prokaryotes within oceanic trenches remains largely unexplored. Here, we analyzed 19,194 medium-quality prokaryotic metagenomic assembled genomes (MAGs) from sediments of the Diamantina, Kermadec, Yap and Mariana trenches. Hadal zones hosted relatively ancient phylogenetic lineages across most prokaryotic phyla compared to non-hadal zones. A linear correlation between depth differences and the pairwise patristic distances was observed inter/intra trenches, indicating a depth-dependent evolutionary boundary. This pattern was further reflected by a clear vertical shift of genomic features, including carbon/nitrogen atoms per amino-acid-residue side chain (C/N-ARSC), pseudogene density and non-synonymous to synonymous mutation ratio (pN/pS). Close phylogenomic relationships for MAGs among different trenches suggested a rapidly and continuously exchange, which was very likely facilitated by deep-sea currents. Molecular dating of hadal Nitrososphaeria and Alphaproteobacteria revealed a divergence of respective 2.2 and 1.8 billion years ago, earlier than the emergence of contemporary trenches, emphasized the hadal zone sediments as a crucial ecological reservoir for prokaryotic evolution. -
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Li Y., Xiao Y., Liu H., et al. (2026). Hadal trench sediments as key ecological reservoir for prokaryotic evolution. The Innovation Life 4:100209. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100209
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Li Y., Xiao Y., Liu H., et al. (2026). Hadal trench sediments as key ecological reservoir for prokaryotic evolution. The Innovation Life 4:100209. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2026.100209
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Figure 1.
Geographical distribution of the sampling sites
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Figure 2.
Ancestral branches of archaeal and bacterial phyla predominantly associated with the hadal zone
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Figure 3.
Depth difference exhibited linear relationships with patristic distance within each trench for bacteria (upper panel) and archaea (lower panel)
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Figure 4.
Depth difference exhibited linear relationships with patristic distance between trenches for bacteria (upper panel) and archaea (lower panel)
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Figure 5.
Genomic characteristics of MAGs showing adaptive evolution to depth/trench-associated nutrient availability and physicochemical variations
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Figure 6.
Divergence time of two representative supergroups of bacterial Alphaproteobacteria (A) and archaeal Nitrosophaeria (B) through adaptive evolution based on molecular dating
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Figure 7.
Oceanic currents as key driving force for the long-distance transportation of ancient microbial lineages among different hadal zones
