nirS-Encoding denitrifier community composition, distribution, and abundance along the coastal wetlands of China.
For the past few decades, human activities have intensively increased the reactive nitrogen enrichment in China's coastal wetlands. Although denitrification is a critical pathway of nitrogen removal, the understanding of denitrifier community dynamics driving denitrification remains limited in the coastal wetlands. In this study, the diversity, abundance, and community composition of nirS-encoding denitrifiers were analyzed to reveal their variations in China's coastal wetlands. Diverse nirS sequences were obtained and more than 98 % of them shared considerable phylogenetic similarity with sequences obtained from aquatic systems (marine/estuarine/coastal sediments and hypoxia sea water). Clone library analysis revealed that the distribution and composition of nirS-harboring denitrifiers had a significant latitudinal differentiation, but without a seasonal shift. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that the community structure of nirS-encoding denitrifiers was significantly related to temperature and ammonium concentration. The nirS gene abundance ranged from 4.3 × 10(5) to 3.7 × 10(7) copies g(-1) dry sediment, with a significant spatial heterogeneity. Among all detected environmental factors, temperature was a key factor affecting not only the nirS gene abundance but also the community structure of nirS-type denitrifiers. Overall, this study significantly enhances our understanding of the structure and dynamics of denitrifying communities in the coastal wetlands of China.
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
Juan
J
Gao
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China. ljhou@sklec.ecnu.edu.cn.
Lijun
L
Hou
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.|College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
Yanling
Y
Zheng
College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China. mliu@geo.ecnu.edu.cn.
Min
M
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.|College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
Guoyu
G
Yin
College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
Xiaofei
X
Li
College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
Xianbiao
X
Lin
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
Chendi
C
Yu
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
Rong
R
Wang
State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
Xiaofen
X
Jiang
College of Geographical Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China.
Xiuru
X
Sun
D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D058448:Biota; D002681:China; D058440:Denitrification; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D056186:Metagenomics; D009572:Nitrite Reductases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D058974:Phylogeography; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D053833:Wetlands
D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D014867:Water; D009572:Nitrite Reductases
Abundance; Coastal wetlands; Community structure; Denitrification; Temperature; nirS gene