title: Variations in the structure of airborne bacterial communities in Tsogt-Ovoo of Gobi desert area during dust events.
abstract: Asian dust events transport the airborne bacteria in Chinese desert regions as well as mineral particles and influence downwind area varying biological ecosystems and climate changes. However, the airborne bacterial dynamics were rarely investigated in the Gobi desert area, where dust events are highly frequent. In this study, air samplings were sequentially performed at a 2-m high above the ground at the sampling site located in desert area (Tsogt-Ovoo of Gobi desert; Mongolia 44.2304°N, 105.1700°E). During the dust event days, the bacterial cells and mineral particles increased to more than tenfold of concentrations. MiSeq sequencing targeting 16S ribosomal DNA revealed that the airborne bacteria in desert area mainly belonged to the classesAcidobacteria,Actinobacteria,Bacteroidetes,Chloroflexi,Bacilli,Alpha-proteobacteria,Beta-proteobacteria, andGamma-proteobacteria.The bacterial community structures were different between dust events and non-dust events. The air samples collected at the dust events indicated high abundance rates ofAlpha-proteobacteria, which were reported to dominate on the leaf surfaces of plants or in the saline lake environments. After the dust events, the members ofFirmicutes(Bacilli) andBacteroidetes, which are known to form endospore and attach with coarse particles, respectively, increased their relative abundances in the air samples. Presumably, the bacterial compositions and diversities in atmosphere significantly vary during dust events, which carry some particles from grassland (phyllo-sphere), dry lake, and sand surfaces, as well as some bacterial populations such asFirmicutesandBacteroidetesmaintain in the atmosphere for longer time.
authors.affiliation: College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakumamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192 Japan.
authors.forename: Teruya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.affiliation: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001 Japan.
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurosaki
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Medicine, University of Yamanashi, 1110, Shimokato, Chuo, Yamanashi, 4093898 Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Onishi
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kevin C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142 New Zealand.
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pointing
authors.affiliation: Information and Research Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Environment, Juulchny gudamj-5, Ulaanbaatar-46, 14201 Mongolia.
authors.forename: Dulam
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jugder
authors.affiliation: Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001 Japan.
authors.forename: Norikazu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.affiliation: College of Science and Engineering, Kanazawa University, Kakumamachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-1192 Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Environmental Studies, Nagoya University, Furocho, Chikusaku, Nagoya, 464-8601 Japan.
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shinoda
keywords: Bioaerosol; Dryland; Fluorescence microscopy; MiSeq sequencing; Prokaryote