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The role of planktonic F lavobacteria in processing algal organic matter in coastal E ast A ntarctica revealed using metagenomics and metaproteomics
Author(s) -
Williams Timothy J.,
Wilkins David,
Long Emilie,
Evans Flavia,
DeMaere Mathew Z.,
Raftery Mark J.,
Cavicchioli Ricardo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
environmental microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.954
H-Index - 188
eISSN - 1462-2920
pISSN - 1462-2912
DOI - 10.1111/1462-2920.12017
Subject(s) - biology , gammaproteobacteria , alphaproteobacteria , metaproteomics , microbial food web , roseobacter , metagenomics , phytoplankton , plankton , prochlorococcus , abundance (ecology) , ecology , proteobacteria , heterotroph , food web , relative species abundance , cyanobacteria , ecosystem , synechococcus , bacteria , nutrient , biochemistry , 16s ribosomal rna , genetics , gene , clade , phylogenetic tree
Summary Heterotrophic marine bacteria play key roles in remineralizing organic matter generated from primary production. However, far more is known about which groups are dominant than about the cellular processes they perform in order to become dominant. In the S outhern O cean, eukaryotic phytoplankton are the dominant primary producers. In this study we used metagenomics and metaproteomics to determine how the dominant bacterial and archaeal plankton processed bloom material. We examined the microbial community composition in 14 metagenomes and found that the relative abundance of F lavobacteria (dominated by P olaribacter ) was positively correlated with chlorophyll a fluorescence, and the relative abundance of SAR 11 was inversely correlated with both fluorescence and F lavobacteria abundance. By performing metaproteomics on the sample with the highest relative abundance of F lavobacteria ( N ewcomb B ay, E ast A ntarctica) we defined how F lavobacteria attach to and degrade diverse complex organic material, how they make labile compounds available to A lphaproteobacteria (especially SAR 11) and G ammaproteobacteria , and how these heterotrophic Proteobacteria target and utilize these nutrients. The presence of methylotrophic proteins for archaea and bacteria also indicated the importance of metabolic specialists. Overall, the study provides functional data for the microbial mechanisms of nutrient cycling at the surface of the coastal S outhern O cean.