Functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities in the ocean
- Author(s)
- Shi Chen, Zhang-Xian Xie, Ke-Qiang Yan, Jian-Wei Chen, Dong-Xu Li, Peng-Fei Wu, Ling Peng, Lin Lin, Chun-Ming Dong, Zihao Zhao, Guang-Yi Fan, Si-Qi Liu, Gerhard J Herndl, Da-Zhi Wang
- Abstract
Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the transport of surface microbes to the ocean's interior. Vertical connectivity of phylogenetic composition has been shown; however, the functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities has not yet been explored in detail. We investigated protein and taxa profiles of both free-living and particle-attached microbial communities from the surface to 3000 m depth using a combined metaproteomic and 16
S rRNA amplicon sequencing approach. A clear compositional and functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities was observed throughout the water column with Oceanospirillales, Alteromonadales, and Rhodobacterales as key taxa. The surface-derived particle-associated microbes increased the expression of proteins involved in basic metabolism, organic matter processing, and environmental stress response in deep waters. This study highlights the functional vertical connectivity between surface and deep-sea microbial communities via sinking particles and reveals that a considerable proportion of the deep-sea microbes might originate from surface waters and have a major impact on the biogeochemical cycles in the deep sea.
- Organisation(s)
- Functional and Evolutionary Ecology
- External organisation(s)
- Xiamen University, Sun Yat-sen University, Quanzhou Normal University, BGI Group, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
- Journal
- Science Advances
- Volume
- 10
- ISSN
- 2375-2548
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adj8184
- Publication date
- 05-2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 106021 Marine biology
- Keywords
- Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 14 - Life Below Water
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/functional-vertical-connectivity-of-microbial-communities-in-the-ocean(3c13f52e-2304-469f-b389-d86ee98ab348).html