Microbial origins and consequences of dimethyl sulfide

Efforts to identify the microbiological sources of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) gas began decades ago when researchers realized it is a breakdown product of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP). On a global scale, DMSP is made in huge quantities in marine environments, and about 50 million tons of DMS are emitted into the atmosphere each year. Research into DMSP catabolism reveals a surprising diversity of lyase enzymes involved in breaking down this compound. Although some lyases are associated with particular clades of bacteria, they are also prone to long-range horizontal gene transfer.