title: Diversity and Abundance of the Denitrifying Microbiota in the Sediment of Eastern China Marginal Seas and the Impact of Environmental Factors.
abstract: Investigating the environmental influence on the community composition and abundance of denitrifiers in marine sediment ecosystem is essential for understanding of the ecosystem-level controls on the biogeochemical process of denitrification. In the present study, nirK-harboring denitrifying communities in different mud deposit zones of eastern China marginal seas (ECMS) were investigated via clone library analysis. The abundance of three functional genes affiliated with denitrification (narG, nirK, nosZ) was assessed by fluorescent quantitative PCR. The nirK-harboring microbiota were dominated by a few operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which were widely distributed in different sites with each site harboring their unique phylotypes. The mean abundance of nirK was significantly higher than that of narG and nosZ genes, and the abundance of narG was higher than that of nosZ. The inconsistent abundance profile of different functional genes along the process of denitrification might indicate that nitrite reduction occurred independently of denitrification in the mud deposit zones of ECMS, and sedimentary denitrification was accomplished by cooperation of different denitrifying species rather than a single species. Such important information would be missed when targeting only a single denitrifying functional gene. Analysis of correlation between abundance ratios and environmental factors revealed that the response of denitrifiers to environmental factors was not invariable in different mud deposit zones. Our results suggested that a comprehensive analysis of different denitrifying functional genes may gain more information about the dynamics of denitrifying microbiota in marine sediments.
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
authors.forename: Minghong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
authors.forename: Jiwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, China.
authors.forename: Yanlu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.|Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China.
authors.forename: Meixun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, 266003, China. xhzhang@ouc.edu.cn.|Laboratory for Marine Ecology and Environmental Science, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266071, China. xhzhang@ouc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiao-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D044822:Biodiversity; D002681:China; D058440:Denitrification / Q000235:genetics*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000382:microbiology*; D064307:Microbiota / Q000235:genetics*; D009565:Nitrate Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism; D009572:Nitrite Reductases / Q000235:genetics*; D009573:Nitrites / Q000378:metabolism; D058458:Nitrogen Cycle / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012988:Soil Microbiology
chemical_list: D009566:Nitrates; D009573:Nitrites; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D009565:Nitrate Reductases; D009572:Nitrite Reductases; C022763:nitrous oxide reductase; C034747:nitric-oxide reductase
keywords: Community composition; Denitrifying microorganisms; Eastern China marginal seas; Quantity