Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica
Abstract Largely removed from anthropogenic delivery of nitrogen (N), Antarctica has notably low levels of nitrogen. Though our understanding of biological sources of ammonia have been elucidated, the microbial drivers of nitrate (NO3 −) cycling in coastal Antarctica remains poorly understood. Here,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-04-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47392-4 |
| _version_ | 1797209204933525504 |
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| author | Ping Han Xiufeng Tang Hanna Koch Xiyang Dong Lijun Hou Danhe Wang Qian Zhao Zhe Li Min Liu Sebastian Lücker Guitao Shi |
| author_facet | Ping Han Xiufeng Tang Hanna Koch Xiyang Dong Lijun Hou Danhe Wang Qian Zhao Zhe Li Min Liu Sebastian Lücker Guitao Shi |
| author_sort | Ping Han |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Largely removed from anthropogenic delivery of nitrogen (N), Antarctica has notably low levels of nitrogen. Though our understanding of biological sources of ammonia have been elucidated, the microbial drivers of nitrate (NO3 −) cycling in coastal Antarctica remains poorly understood. Here, we explore microbial N cycling in coastal Antarctica, unraveling the biological origin of NO3 − via oxygen isotopes in soil and lake sediment, and through the reconstruction of 1968 metagenome-assembled genomes from 29 microbial phyla. Our analysis reveals the metabolic potential for microbial N2 fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, but not for anaerobic ammonium oxidation, signifying a unique microbial N-cycling dynamic. We identify the predominance of complete ammonia oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira, capable of performing the entire nitrification process. Their adaptive strategies to the Antarctic environment likely include synthesis of trehalose for cold stress, high substrate affinity for resource utilization, and alternate metabolic pathways for nutrient-scarce conditions. We confirm the significant role of comammox Nitrospira in the autotrophic, nitrification process via 13C-DNA-based stable isotope probing. This research highlights the crucial contribution of nitrification to the N budget in coastal Antarctica, identifying comammox Nitrospira clade B as a nitrification driver. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:50:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53f118298a864f8ab961ce252d7af5a0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T09:50:59Z |
| publishDate | 2024-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-53f118298a864f8ab961ce252d7af5a02024-04-14T11:21:44ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-04-0115111210.1038/s41467-024-47392-4Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal AntarcticaPing Han0Xiufeng Tang1Hanna Koch2Xiyang Dong3Lijun Hou4Danhe Wang5Qian Zhao6Zhe Li7Min Liu8Sebastian Lücker9Guitao Shi10Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityDepartment of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud UniversityKey Laboratory of Marine Genetic Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural ResourcesState Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityDepartment of Microbiology, RIBES, Radboud UniversityKey Laboratory of Geographic Information Science (Ministry of Education), School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal UniversityAbstract Largely removed from anthropogenic delivery of nitrogen (N), Antarctica has notably low levels of nitrogen. Though our understanding of biological sources of ammonia have been elucidated, the microbial drivers of nitrate (NO3 −) cycling in coastal Antarctica remains poorly understood. Here, we explore microbial N cycling in coastal Antarctica, unraveling the biological origin of NO3 − via oxygen isotopes in soil and lake sediment, and through the reconstruction of 1968 metagenome-assembled genomes from 29 microbial phyla. Our analysis reveals the metabolic potential for microbial N2 fixation, nitrification, and denitrification, but not for anaerobic ammonium oxidation, signifying a unique microbial N-cycling dynamic. We identify the predominance of complete ammonia oxidizing (comammox) Nitrospira, capable of performing the entire nitrification process. Their adaptive strategies to the Antarctic environment likely include synthesis of trehalose for cold stress, high substrate affinity for resource utilization, and alternate metabolic pathways for nutrient-scarce conditions. We confirm the significant role of comammox Nitrospira in the autotrophic, nitrification process via 13C-DNA-based stable isotope probing. This research highlights the crucial contribution of nitrification to the N budget in coastal Antarctica, identifying comammox Nitrospira clade B as a nitrification driver.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47392-4 |
| spellingShingle | Ping Han Xiufeng Tang Hanna Koch Xiyang Dong Lijun Hou Danhe Wang Qian Zhao Zhe Li Min Liu Sebastian Lücker Guitao Shi Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica Nature Communications |
| title | Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica |
| title_full | Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica |
| title_short | Unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal Antarctica |
| title_sort | unveiling unique microbial nitrogen cycling and nitrification driver in coastal antarctica |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47392-4 |
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