title: Reconstructed metagenomes reveal changes of microbial functional profiling during PAHs degradation along a rice (Oryza sativa) rhizosphere gradient.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The response of microbial metagenome to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) degradation in the rice rhizosphere remains poorly understood. We investigated the spatial and temporal variations of microbial communities and reconstructed metagenomes along the rice rhizosphere gradient during PAHs degradation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The experiment was performed in rhizoboxes, in which the rhizosphere region was divided into five 1-mm thick layers. Based on denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis profiling and sequencing of bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes, predicted metagenomes were reconstructed. The microbial communities in the rice rhizosphere were influenced by the PAHs concentration and distance from the root surface during PAHs degradation. Correlation network analysis showed that archaea played an important role in PAHs degradation. Predicted metagenomes can be clustered into two groups with high and low PAHs degrading potential, respectively. The relative abundance of genes for defense mechanisms, replication, recombination and reparation was significantly higher in samples with high PAHs degrading potentials. The relative abundance of the dioxygenase gene was greater near the root surface of the rice. However, the abundance of aldolase and dehydrogenase was constant in rhizosphere soils at different distances from the root surface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Distance from root surface and PAH concentrations affected the microbial communities and metagenomes in rice rhizosphere. The abundance of dioxygenase genes relating to PAH degradation in metagenomes mirrored the PAH degradation potential in rice rhizosphere.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggested that the predicted metagenomes reconstructed from 16S rRNA marker gene sequences provide further insights into the spatial variation and dynamics of microbial functioning that occur during bioremediation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Soil and Water Resources and Environmental Science, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Soil and Plant Nutrition, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; Laboratory of Microbial Ecology and Matter Cycles, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, China.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: X-F
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Lyu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zha
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: J-M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D049308:Dioxygenases / Q000235:genetics; D020745:Genome, Archaeal; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D054892:Metagenome; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012275:Oryza / Q000382:microbiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D058441:Rhizosphere; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D049308:Dioxygenases
keywords: microbial community; phytoremediation; polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; reconstructed metagenome; rhizosphere