# Trait-based meta-analysis of microbial guilds in the iron redox cycle

## TL;DR

This paper synthesizes decades of research to classify iron-cycling microbes into functional groups based on their traits, revealing how they interact with environmental conditions.

## Contribution

Introduces a trait-based guild framework for microbial iron redox cycling, linking metabolic traits to environmental gradients.

## Key findings

- Iron-cycling microbial capacities often cross phylogenetic boundaries, especially in chemically stratified environments.
- Dual-capacity microbes like Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans play key roles in cryptic iron cycling.
- Environmental factors like pH and iron availability drive niche partitioning among microbial guilds.

## Abstract

Microbial iron (Fe) redox cycling underpins key biogeochemical processes, yet the functional diversity, ecological roles, and trait architectures of iron-transforming microbes remain poorly synthesized across global environments. Here, we present a systematic review and trait-based meta-analysis of 387 microbial taxa spanning 314 studies and 76 years of research, integrating phenotypic, genomic, and environmental data to define ecologically coherent microbial iron redox cycle guilds. Rather than relying on taxonomy, our framework delineates first-order functional guilds—Fe(III) reducers, Fe(II) oxidizers, and dual-capacity Fe oxidizers/reducers—and resolves second-order guilds based on trait syndromes, such as acidophily, redox flexibility, or metabolic breadth. Trait profiling revealed that iron-cycling capacities frequently transcend phylogenetic boundaries, with multiple guilds converging in chemically stratified hotspots like hot springs, hydrothermal vents, and acid mine drainages. Dual-capacity Fe oxidizers/reducers (e.g., Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Metallosphaera sedula) emerged as overlooked mediators of “cryptic” iron cycling, possessing genomic repertoires capable of toggling between oxidative and reductive modes in response to redox oscillations. Hierarchical clustering and kernel density analyses of ecophysiological traits highlighted niche partitioning along key environmental filters, including pH, iron availability, salinity, and temperature. Collectively, this work introduces the Guild Exploitation Pattern as a conceptual lens for understanding iron microbiome assembly, providing a data-driven foundation for predicting microbial contributions to iron cycling under changing environmental conditions.

Iron redox reactions shape nutrient turnover, contaminant mobility, and primary productivity, yet the microbes driving these processes are often studied in isolation. By integrating decades of data into a trait-based guild framework, we reveal the ecophysiological diversity and niche differentiation of microbial iron redox cycling taxa across environments. Our synthesis exposes major gaps, such as limited trait data for >80% of dual-capacity Fe oxidizing/reducing species and highlights the need for functional trait surveys to complement metagenomics and cultivation efforts. The guild framework presented here advances predictive microbial ecology by linking metabolic traits with environmental gradients, offering a robust foundation for incorporating iron cycling into ecosystem models and biogeochemical forecasts.