title: Diversity, abundance, and distribution of NO-forming nitrite reductase-encoding genes in deep-sea subsurface sediments of the South China Sea.
abstract: In marine ecosystems, both nitrite-reducing bacteria and anaerobic ammonium-oxidizing (anammox) bacteria, containing different types of NO-forming nitrite reductase-encoding genes, contribute to the nitrogen cycle. The objectives of study were to reveal the diversity, abundance, and distribution of NO-forming nitrite reductase-encoding genes in deep-sea subsurface environments. Results showed that higher diversity and abundance of nirS gene than nirK and Scalindua-nirS genes were evident in the sediments of the South China Sea (SCS), indicating bacteria containing nirS gene dominated the NO-forming nitrite-reducing microbial community in this ecosystem. Similar diversity and abundance distribution patterns of both nirS and Scalindua-nirS genes were detected in this study sites, but different from nirK gene. Further statistical analyses also showed both nirS and Scalindua-nirS genes respond similarly to environmental factors, but differed from nirK gene. These results suggest that bacteria containing nirS and Scalindua-nirS genes share similar niche in deep-sea subsurface sediments of the SCS, but differed from those containing nirK gene, indicating that community structures of nitrite-reducing bacteria are segregated by the functional modules (NirS vs. NirK) rather than the competing processes (anammox vs. classical denitrification).
authors: Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Toxicology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Li
authors: Y
authors: Y
authors: Hong
authors: H
authors: H
authors: Cao
authors: M G
authors: MG
authors: Klotz
authors: J-D
authors: JD
authors: Gu
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics*; D058448:Biota; D002681:China; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D014644:Genetic Variation; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009572:Nitrite Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D009572:Nitrite Reductases