A1 Journal article (refereed)
In-depth characterization of denitrifier communities across different soil ecosystems in the tundra (2022)
Pessi, I. S., Viitamäki, S., Virkkala, A.-M., Eronen-Rasimus, E., Delmont, T. O., Marushchak, M. E., Luoto, M., & Hultman, J. (2022). In-depth characterization of denitrifier communities across different soil ecosystems in the tundra. Environmental Microbiome, 17, Article 30. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-022-00424-2
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Pessi, Igor S.; Viitamäki, Sirja; Virkkala, Anna-Maria; Eronen-Rasimus, Eeva; Delmont, Tom O.; Marushchak, Maija E.; Luoto, Miska; Hultman, Jenni
Journal or series: Environmental Microbiome
eISSN: 2524-6372
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 11/06/2022
Volume: 17
Article number: 30
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s40793-022-00424-2
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Open Access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/82582
Publication is parallel published: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9188126/
Abstract
In contrast to earlier assumptions, there is now mounting evidence for the role of tundra soils as important sources of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). However, the microorganisms involved in the cycling of N2O in this system remain largely uncharacterized. Since tundra soils are variable sources and sinks of N2O, we aimed at investigating differences in community structure across different soil ecosystems in the tundra.
Results
We analysed 1.4 Tb of metagenomic data from soils in northern Finland covering a range of ecosystems from dry upland soils to water-logged fens and obtained 796 manually binned and curated metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs). We then searched for MAGs harbouring genes involved in denitrification, an important process driving N2O emissions. Communities of potential denitrifiers were dominated by microorganisms with truncated denitrification pathways (i.e., lacking one or more denitrification genes) and differed across soil ecosystems. Upland soils showed a strong N2O sink potential and were dominated by members of the Alphaproteobacteria such as Bradyrhizobium and Reyranella. Fens, which had in general net-zero N2O fluxes, had a high abundance of poorly characterized taxa affiliated with the Chloroflexota lineage Ellin6529 and the Acidobacteriota subdivision Gp23.
Conclusions
By coupling an in-depth characterization of microbial communities with in situ measurements of N2O fluxes, our results suggest that the observed spatial patterns of N2O fluxes in the tundra are related to differences in the composition of denitrifier communities.
Keywords: greenhouse gases; nitrous oxide; nitrogen cycle; denitrification; soil; arctic region; tundra; microbiome; genomics
Free keywords: arctic; denitrification; genome-resolved metagenomics; nitrous oxide
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- When ancient meets modern – effect of plant-derived carbon on anaerobic decomposition in arctic permafrost soils
- Marushchak, Maija
- Academy of Finland
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
Preliminary JUFO rating: 1