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Biogeographic partitioning of S outhern O cean microorganisms revealed by metagenomics
Author(s) -
Wilkins David,
Lauro Federico M.,
Williams Timothy J.,
Demaere Matthew Z.,
Brown Mark V.,
Hoffman Jeffrey M.,
AndrewsPfannkoch Cynthia,
Mcquaid Jeffrey B.,
Riddle Martin J.,
Rintoul Stephen R.,
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 - 10.1111/1462-2920.12035
Subject(s) - biology , metagenomics , trophic level , cyanobacteria , microorganism , clade , transect , ecology , methionine , amino acid , bacteria , phylogenetics , biochemistry , gene , genetics
Summary We performed a metagenomic survey (6.6 Gbp of 454 sequence data) of S outhern O cean ( SO ) microorganisms during the austral summer of 2007–2008, examining the genomic signatures of communities across a latitudinal transect from Hobart (44° S ) to the M ertz G lacier, A ntarctica (67° S ). Operational taxonomic units ( OTUs ) of the SAR 11 and SAR 116 clades and the cyanobacterial genera P rochlorococcus and S ynechococcus were strongly overrepresented north of the P olar F ront ( PF ). Conversely, OTUs of the G ammaproteobacterial S ulfur O xidizer‐ EOSA ‐1 ( GSO‐EOSA ‐1) complex, the phyla B acteroidetes and V errucomicrobia and order R hodobacterales were characteristic of waters south of the PF . Functions enriched south of the PF included a range of transporters, sulfur reduction and histidine degradation to glutamate, while branched‐chain amino acid transport, nucleic acid biosynthesis and methionine salvage were overrepresented north of the PF . The taxonomic and functional characteristics suggested a shift of primary production from cyanobacteria in the north to eukaryotic phytoplankton in the south, and reflected the different trophic statuses of the two regions. The study provides a new level of understanding about SO microbial communities, describing the contrasting taxonomic and functional characteristics of microbial assemblages either side of the PF .