title: Metagenomic analysis reveals significant changes of microbial compositions and protective functions during drinking water treatment.
abstract: The metagenomic approach was applied to characterize variations of microbial structure and functions in raw (RW) and treated water (TW) in a drinking water treatment plant (DWTP) at Pearl River Delta, China. Microbial structure was significantly influenced by the treatment processes, shifting from Gammaproteobacteria and Betaproteobacteria in RW to Alphaproteobacteria in TW. Further functional analysis indicated the basic metabolic functions of microorganisms in TW did not vary considerably. However, protective functions, i.e. glutathione synthesis genes in 'oxidative stress' and 'detoxification' subsystems, significantly increased, revealing the surviving bacteria may have higher chlorine resistance. Similar results were also found in glutathione metabolism pathway, which identified the major reaction for glutathione synthesis and supported more genes for glutathione metabolism existed in TW. This metagenomic study largely enhanced our knowledge about the influences of treatment processes, especially chlorination, on bacterial community structure and protective functions (e.g. glutathione metabolism) in ecosystems of DWTPs.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yuanqing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.affiliation: 1] Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China [2] State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210046, China.
authors.forename: Xu-Xiang
authors.initials: XX
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, United States.
authors.forename: Wei-Min
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Environmental Biotechnology Lab, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D020561:Alphaproteobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D001483:Base Sequence; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044822:Biodiversity; D018441:Biofilms / Q000254:growth & development*; D002713:Chlorine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D060766:Drinking Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D017753:Ecosystem; D020563:Gammaproteobacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005978:Glutathione / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D054879:Halogenation; D056186:Metagenomics; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014871:Water Microbiology; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial; D060766:Drinking Water; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002713:Chlorine; D005978:Glutathione