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Diversity and Abundance of the Denitrifying Microbiota in the Sediment of Eastern China Marginal Seas and the Impact of Environmental Factors

  • Environmental Microbiology
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Abstract

Investigating the environmental influence on the community composition and abundance of denitrifiers in marine sediment ecosystem is essential for understanding of the ecosystem-level controls on the biogeochemical process of denitrification. In the present study, nirK-harboring denitrifying communities in different mud deposit zones of eastern China marginal seas (ECMS) were investigated via clone library analysis. The abundance of three functional genes affiliated with denitrification (narG, nirK, nosZ) was assessed by fluorescent quantitative PCR. The nirK-harboring microbiota were dominated by a few operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which were widely distributed in different sites with each site harboring their unique phylotypes. The mean abundance of nirK was significantly higher than that of narG and nosZ genes, and the abundance of narG was higher than that of nosZ. The inconsistent abundance profile of different functional genes along the process of denitrification might indicate that nitrite reduction occurred independently of denitrification in the mud deposit zones of ECMS, and sedimentary denitrification was accomplished by cooperation of different denitrifying species rather than a single species. Such important information would be missed when targeting only a single denitrifying functional gene. Analysis of correlation between abundance ratios and environmental factors revealed that the response of denitrifiers to environmental factors was not invariable in different mud deposit zones. Our results suggested that a comprehensive analysis of different denitrifying functional genes may gain more information about the dynamics of denitrifying microbiota in marine sediments.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the captain and crew of the R/V Dong Fang Hong 2 for their assistance during the cruise. We also appreciate all colleagues who contributed to this study. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China through grants 41521064, 41476112, and 41506154.

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    1. College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, China

      Minghong Gao, Jiwen Liu, Yanlu Qiao & Xiao-Hua Zhang

    2. Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China

      Meixun Zhao

    3. Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China

      Meixun Zhao & Xiao-Hua Zhang

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    Gao, M., Liu, J., Qiao, Y. et al. Diversity and Abundance of the Denitrifying Microbiota in the Sediment of Eastern China Marginal Seas and the Impact of Environmental Factors. Microb Ecol 73, 602–615 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-016-0906-6

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