Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sediment

Xihan Chen; Thorbjørn Joest Andersen; Yuki Morono; Fumio Inagaki; Bo Barker Jørgensen; Mark Alexander Lever

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-02295-x

Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sediment

Xihan Chen, Thorbjørn Joest Andersen, Yuki Morono, Fumio Inagaki, Bo Barker Jørgensen, Mark Alexander Lever^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Geography

49 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

The factors controlling the relative abundances of Archaea and Bacteria in marine sediments are poorly understood. We determined depth distributions of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes by quantitative PCR at eight stations in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Bacterial outnumber archaeal genes 10-60-fold in uppermost sediments that are irrigated and mixed by macrofauna. This bioturbation is indicated by visual observations of sediment color and faunal tracks, by porewater profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon and sulfate, and by distributions of unsupported ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. Below the depth of bioturbation, the relative abundances of archaeal genes increase, accounting for one third of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate zone, and half of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate-methane transition zone and methane zone. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a strong shift in bacterial and archaeal community structure from bioturbated sediments to underlying layers. Stable isotopic analyses on organic matter and porewater geochemical gradients suggest that macrofauna mediate bacterial dominance and affect microbial community structure in bioturbated sediment by introducing fresh organic matter and high-energy electron acceptors from overlying seawater. Below the zone of bioturbation, organic matter content and the presence of sulfate exert key influences on bacterial and archaeal abundances and overall microbial community structure.

Original language	English
Article number	2400
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	7
Number of pages	14
ISSN	2045-2322
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-02295-x
Publication status	Published - 2017

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Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sedimentFinal published version, 1.72 MB

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title = "Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sediment",

abstract = "The factors controlling the relative abundances of Archaea and Bacteria in marine sediments are poorly understood. We determined depth distributions of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes by quantitative PCR at eight stations in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Bacterial outnumber archaeal genes 10-60-fold in uppermost sediments that are irrigated and mixed by macrofauna. This bioturbation is indicated by visual observations of sediment color and faunal tracks, by porewater profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon and sulfate, and by distributions of unsupported 210Pb and 137Cs. Below the depth of bioturbation, the relative abundances of archaeal genes increase, accounting for one third of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate zone, and half of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate-methane transition zone and methane zone. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a strong shift in bacterial and archaeal community structure from bioturbated sediments to underlying layers. Stable isotopic analyses on organic matter and porewater geochemical gradients suggest that macrofauna mediate bacterial dominance and affect microbial community structure in bioturbated sediment by introducing fresh organic matter and high-energy electron acceptors from overlying seawater. Below the zone of bioturbation, organic matter content and the presence of sulfate exert key influences on bacterial and archaeal abundances and overall microbial community structure.",

author = "Xihan Chen and Andersen, {Thorbj{\o}rn Joest} and Yuki Morono and Fumio Inagaki and J{\o}rgensen, {Bo Barker} and Lever, {Mark Alexander}",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1038/s41598-017-02295-x",

language = "English",

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journal = "Scientific Reports",

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T1 - Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sediment

AU - Chen, Xihan

AU - Andersen, Thorbjørn Joest

AU - Morono, Yuki

AU - Inagaki, Fumio

AU - Jørgensen, Bo Barker

AU - Lever, Mark Alexander

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - The factors controlling the relative abundances of Archaea and Bacteria in marine sediments are poorly understood. We determined depth distributions of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes by quantitative PCR at eight stations in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Bacterial outnumber archaeal genes 10-60-fold in uppermost sediments that are irrigated and mixed by macrofauna. This bioturbation is indicated by visual observations of sediment color and faunal tracks, by porewater profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon and sulfate, and by distributions of unsupported 210Pb and 137Cs. Below the depth of bioturbation, the relative abundances of archaeal genes increase, accounting for one third of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate zone, and half of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate-methane transition zone and methane zone. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a strong shift in bacterial and archaeal community structure from bioturbated sediments to underlying layers. Stable isotopic analyses on organic matter and porewater geochemical gradients suggest that macrofauna mediate bacterial dominance and affect microbial community structure in bioturbated sediment by introducing fresh organic matter and high-energy electron acceptors from overlying seawater. Below the zone of bioturbation, organic matter content and the presence of sulfate exert key influences on bacterial and archaeal abundances and overall microbial community structure.

AB - The factors controlling the relative abundances of Archaea and Bacteria in marine sediments are poorly understood. We determined depth distributions of archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes by quantitative PCR at eight stations in Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Bacterial outnumber archaeal genes 10-60-fold in uppermost sediments that are irrigated and mixed by macrofauna. This bioturbation is indicated by visual observations of sediment color and faunal tracks, by porewater profiles of dissolved inorganic carbon and sulfate, and by distributions of unsupported 210Pb and 137Cs. Below the depth of bioturbation, the relative abundances of archaeal genes increase, accounting for one third of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate zone, and half of 16S rRNA genes in the sulfate-methane transition zone and methane zone. Phylogenetic analyses reveal a strong shift in bacterial and archaeal community structure from bioturbated sediments to underlying layers. Stable isotopic analyses on organic matter and porewater geochemical gradients suggest that macrofauna mediate bacterial dominance and affect microbial community structure in bioturbated sediment by introducing fresh organic matter and high-energy electron acceptors from overlying seawater. Below the zone of bioturbation, organic matter content and the presence of sulfate exert key influences on bacterial and archaeal abundances and overall microbial community structure.

U2 - 10.1038/s41598-017-02295-x

DO - 10.1038/s41598-017-02295-x

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28546547

AN - SCOPUS:85019679315

SN - 2045-2322

VL - 7

JO - Scientific Reports

JF - Scientific Reports

M1 - 2400

ER -

Bioturbation as a key driver behind the dominance of Bacteria over Archaea in near-surface sediment

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