Depth-related microbial communities and functional genes in alpine permafrost

Shengyun Chen; Jingyang Xu; Jiabao Cao; Ali Bahadur; Minghui Wu; Zhouwei Wang; Jianwei Chen; Jun Wang; Yi Shi

doi:10.59717/j.xinn-life.2024.100081

The Innovation Life > 2024 Vol. 2 > No. 3 > 100081

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Depth-related microbial communities and functional genes in alpine permafrost

1.
Cryosphere and Eco-Environment Research Station of Shule River Headwaters, Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science and Frozen Soil Engineering, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
2.
CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
3.
iCenter, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
4.
State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
5.
BGI-Qingdao, BGI-Shenzhen, Qingdao 266555, China
6.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
7.
These authors contributed equally

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Corresponding authors: sychen@lzb.ac.cn (S.C.); wangjun@im.ac.cn (J.W.); shiyi@im.ac.cn (Y.S.)
Received Date: 08 August 2023

Accepted Date: 30 July 2024

Published Online: 12 August 2024

The Innovation Life 2(3), https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2024.100081 | Cite this article

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

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PUBLIC SUMMARY
1. Various microbial communities and functional genes were identified in permafrost of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
  
  Depth-related microbial compositions and their metabolic potentials were observed across permafrost profiles.
  
  Soil temperature significantly influenced the composition and diversity of microbial communities.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Permafrost microorganisms have received increased attention due to their critical role in biogeochemical cycles and the potential biosafety risks associated with climate warming. However, knowledge regarding the depth-related community structure and function of permafrost microorganisms remains limited. In this study, we employed metagenomic methods to investigate microbial communities, functional genes, and their controlling factors in alpine permafrost of the Shule River headwaters on the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A total of 287 metagenome-assembled genomes were constructed, representing 20 bacterial phyla and 1 archaeal phylum. Additionally, we identified 2079 viral contigs spanning more than 14 viral families, with approximately 67% constituting previously unknown taxa, forming a unique virome in alpine permafrost compared to other regions. Significant variations in bacterial and viral compositions, along with their metabolic potentials, were observed across vertical profiles from the active layer to the permafrost table layer. Viral diversity showed an initial increase followed by a decrease, reaching the maximum at the depth of 90-140 cm. We identified abundant genomic capabilities related to carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycling. Moreover, our analysis revealed 60 auxiliary metabolic genes in viruses and 7,000 putative biosynthetic gene clusters for secondary metabolites from 21 prokaryotic phyla. Soil temperature emerged as the most significant environmental variable influencing the composition of microbial communities and functional genes, as well as the diversity of microbial communities. These results offer valuable insights into the potential functional transformations and biosafety risks mediated by permafrost microorganisms under future warming.
- Alpine permafrost /
- Microorganisms /
- Community structure /
- Functional genes /
- Environmental variables

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REFERENCES

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Chen S., Xu J., Cao J., et al., (2024). Depth-related microbial communities and functional genes in alpine permafrost. The Innovation Life 2(3): 100081. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2024.100081

Chen S., Xu J., Cao J., et al., (2024). Depth-related microbial communities and functional genes in alpine permafrost. The Innovation Life 2(3): 100081. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-life.2024.100081

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Depth-related microbial communities and functional genes in alpine permafrost

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