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Vertical distribution of diazotrophic bacterial community associated with temperature and oxygen gradients in a subtropical reservoir

  • CHALLENGES IN AQUATIC SCIENCES
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Abstract

Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms play important roles in the structure and function of aquatic ecosystems. However, the diversity and distribution of diazotrophic bacteria along the lake depth continuum are so far poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the dynamic variations of diazotrophs in a subtropical deep reservoir during the stratified period. We applied an in-depth biomolecular approach (DGGE, clone libraries, and quantitative real-time PCR) to explore the nitrogenase (nifH) gene diversity and abundance. The diazotrophic community shifted between the oxic/anoxic interface and the nifH diversity increased with depth. The Cyanobacteria, affiliated to the toxic bloom-forming Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, were the dominant diazotrophic cluster in the surface waters, whereas diazotrophic Alphaproteobacteria were dominant in the bottom waters. The relationships between microbial and environmental factors clearly demonstrated that the temperature gradient and the oxygen concentration affect the heterogeneity of the diazotrophic community, thereby influencing the entire aquatic nitrogen cycle.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Stefano Amalfitano, David M. Wilkinson, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. This research was supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China (2012AA062607), Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Fujian Province (2012J06009), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370471 and 41276133), and the International Science and Technology Cooperation Program of China (2011DFB91710).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aquatic EcoHealth Group, Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, 361021, People’s Republic of China

    Zheng Yu, Jing Zhou, Jun Yang, Xiaoqing Yu & Lemian Liu

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, People’s Republic of China

    Zheng Yu

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  1. Zheng Yu
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  2. Jing Zhou
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  3. Jun Yang
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  4. Xiaoqing Yu
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  5. Lemian Liu
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Correspondence to Jun Yang.

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Guest editors: Jiang-Shiou Hwang & Koen Martens / Challenges in Aquatic Sciences

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Yu, Z., Zhou, J., Yang, J. et al. Vertical distribution of diazotrophic bacterial community associated with temperature and oxygen gradients in a subtropical reservoir. Hydrobiologia 741, 69–77 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1832-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-014-1832-6

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