title: Abundances, diversity and seasonality of (non-extremophilic) Archaea in Alpine freshwaters.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to assess abundances and community compositions of Archaea within a heterogeneous set of freshwater systems in the Austrian Alps. Seasonal changes and geographical differences within Archaea, considering abiotic and biotic factors (e.g. temperature, pH, total organic carbon (TOC), NH4 (+), bacteria, fungi), were analysed in this context. Water samples were collected from 8 lakes, 10 creeks and the river Inn in 2014. Qualitative-quantitative data were derived via a comprehensive set of (quantitative) PCR assays and PCR-DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis) based methodology, which was evaluated concerning specificity and reliability either previously or in this study. QPCR-derived archaeal abundances reached values of 10(3) copies mL(-1) on average, with a peak in winter-spring ('Cold Peak'), and covered 0-15 % (average: 1 %) of the microbial populations. This peak correlated with significantly raised TOC and low NH4 (+) levels during the cold seasons. Stagnant waters showed significantly higher archaeal abundances and diversities than flowing ones. Among methanogens, Methanosarcinales were the most common order. PCR-DGGE data showed that the archaeal communities were site-specific and could function as an ecological marker, in contrast to the more heterogeneous and unsteady bacterial and fungal community. This is attributable to the highly heterogeneous community of methanogenic Archaea (MA, Euryarchaeota), while only two species, Nitrosopumilus maritimus and Ca. Nitrososphaera gargensis, were found to be the ubiquitous representatives of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA, Thaumarchaeota) in Alpine freshwaters. This work emphasises the diversity, distribution and seasonality of non-extremophilic Archaea in Alpine freshwaters, with a first insight into their ecophysiological potential.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria. christoph.reitschuler@chello.at.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3105-8622
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reitschuler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hofmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Illmer
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000378:metabolism; D001105:Archaea / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001317:Austria; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification; D044822:Biodiversity; D019641:DNA, Archaeal / Q000235:genetics; D058645:Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis / Q000379:methods; D004463:Ecology; D019605:Euryarchaeota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D000071825:Extremophiles / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000382:microbiology*; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification; D060106:Lakes / Q000382:microbiology; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D045483:Rivers / Q000382:microbiology; D012621:Seasons
chemical_list: D019641:DNA, Archaeal; D000641:Ammonia
keywords: Alpine freshwater; Ammonia-oxidizing Archaea; Archaeal seasonality; Methanogens; Non-extremophilic Archaea