Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone
Fungi in terrestrial environments are known to play a key role in carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry and exhibit high diversity. In contrast, the diversity and function of fungi in the ocean has remained underexplored and largely neglected. In the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone,...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-03-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/3/218 |
| _version_ | 1797540992879951872 |
|---|---|
| author | Xuefeng Peng David L. Valentine |
| author_facet | Xuefeng Peng David L. Valentine |
| author_sort | Xuefeng Peng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fungi in terrestrial environments are known to play a key role in carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry and exhibit high diversity. In contrast, the diversity and function of fungi in the ocean has remained underexplored and largely neglected. In the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone, we examined the fungal diversity by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) and mining a metagenome dataset collected from the same region. Additionally, we coupled <sup>15</sup>N-tracer experiments with a selective inhibition method to determine the potential contribution of marine fungi to nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) production. Fungal communities evaluated by ITS2 sequencing were dominated by the phyla <i>Basidiomycota</i> and <i>Ascomycota</i> at most depths. However, the metagenome dataset showed that about one third of the fungal community belong to early-diverging phyla. Fungal N<sub>2</sub>O production rates peaked at the oxic–anoxic interface of the water column, and when integrated from the oxycline to the top of the anoxic depths, fungi accounted for 18–22% of total N<sub>2</sub>O production. Our findings highlight the limitation of ITS-based methods typically used to investigate terrestrial fungal diversity and indicate that fungi may play an active role in marine nitrogen cycling. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:09:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b229f19c726b496d8cfafc2c43472a46 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:09:59Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-b229f19c726b496d8cfafc2c43472a462023-11-21T10:53:06ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2021-03-017321810.3390/jof7030218Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum ZoneXuefeng Peng0David L. Valentine1Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USAMarine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USAFungi in terrestrial environments are known to play a key role in carbon and nitrogen biogeochemistry and exhibit high diversity. In contrast, the diversity and function of fungi in the ocean has remained underexplored and largely neglected. In the eastern tropical North Pacific oxygen minimum zone, we examined the fungal diversity by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region 2 (ITS2) and mining a metagenome dataset collected from the same region. Additionally, we coupled <sup>15</sup>N-tracer experiments with a selective inhibition method to determine the potential contribution of marine fungi to nitrous oxide (N<sub>2</sub>O) production. Fungal communities evaluated by ITS2 sequencing were dominated by the phyla <i>Basidiomycota</i> and <i>Ascomycota</i> at most depths. However, the metagenome dataset showed that about one third of the fungal community belong to early-diverging phyla. Fungal N<sub>2</sub>O production rates peaked at the oxic–anoxic interface of the water column, and when integrated from the oxycline to the top of the anoxic depths, fungi accounted for 18–22% of total N<sub>2</sub>O production. Our findings highlight the limitation of ITS-based methods typically used to investigate terrestrial fungal diversity and indicate that fungi may play an active role in marine nitrogen cycling.https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/3/218marine fungioxygen minimum zonenitrous oxidediversity<sup>15</sup>N tracersize-fractioned |
| spellingShingle | Xuefeng Peng David L. Valentine Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone Journal of Fungi marine fungi oxygen minimum zone nitrous oxide diversity <sup>15</sup>N tracer size-fractioned |
| title | Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone |
| title_full | Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone |
| title_fullStr | Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone |
| title_short | Diversity and N<sub>2</sub>O Production Potential of Fungi in an Oceanic Oxygen Minimum Zone |
| title_sort | diversity and n sub 2 sub o production potential of fungi in an oceanic oxygen minimum zone |
| topic | marine fungi oxygen minimum zone nitrous oxide diversity <sup>15</sup>N tracer size-fractioned |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/7/3/218 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xuefengpeng diversityandnsub2suboproductionpotentialoffungiinanoceanicoxygenminimumzone AT davidlvalentine diversityandnsub2suboproductionpotentialoffungiinanoceanicoxygenminimumzone |