title: Taxonomic and functional diversity provides insight into microbial pathways and stress responses in the saline Qinghai Lake, China.
abstract: Microbe-mediated biogeochemical cycles contribute to the global climate system and have sensitive responses and feedbacks to environmental stress caused by climate change. Yet, little is known about the effects of microbial biodiversity (i.e., taxonmic and functional diversity) on biogeochemical cycles in ecosytems that are highly sensitive to climate change. One such sensitive ecosystem is Qinghai Lake, a high-elevation (3196 m) saline (1.4%) lake located on the Tibetan Plateau, China. This study provides baseline information on the microbial taxonomic and functional diversity as well as the associated stress response genes. Illumina metagenomic and metatranscriptomic datasets were generated from lake water samples collected at two sites (B and E). Autotrophic Cyanobacteria dominated the DNA samples, while heterotrophic Proteobacteria dominated the RNA samples at both sites. Photoheterotrophic Loktanella was also present at both sites. Photosystem II was the most active pathway at site B; while, oxidative phosphorylation was most active at site E. Organisms that expressed photosystem II or oxidative phosphorylation also expressed genes involved in photoprotection and oxidative stress, respectively. Assimilatory pathways associated with the nitrogen cycle were dominant at both sites. Results also indicate a positive relationship between functional diversity and the number of stress response genes. This study provides insight into the stress resilience of microbial metabolic pathways supported by greater taxonomic diversity, which may affect the microbial community response to climate change.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States of America; Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Qiuyuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States of America.
authors.forename: Brandon R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, United States of America; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, China; State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hailiang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Hongchen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Geng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Edwardson
authors.affiliation: Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Iwijn
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: De Vlaminck
authors.affiliation: Departments of Bioengineering and Applied Physics, Stanford University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Quake
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D002681:China; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000145:classification* / Q000502:physiology*; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D014871:Water Microbiology