Niche differentiation of ammonia-oxidizing archaea and related autotrophic carbon fixation potential in the water column of the South China Sea
Jiapeng Wu,
Yiguo Hong,
Xiang He,
Xiaohan Liu,
Jiaqi Ye,
Lijing Jiao,
Yiben Li,
Yu Wang,
Fei Ye,
Yunhua Yang,
Juan Du
Affiliations
Jiapeng Wu
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yiguo Hong
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Corresponding author
Xiang He
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Xiaohan Liu
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Jiaqi Ye
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Lijing Jiao
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yiben Li
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yu Wang
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Fei Ye
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Yunhua Yang
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Juan Du
Institute of Environmental Research at Greater Bay Area; Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Summary: The significant primary production by ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) in the ocean was reported, but the carbon fixation process of AOA and its community composition along the water depth remain unclear. Here, we investigated the abundance, community composition, and potential carbon fixation of AOA in water columns of the South China Sea. Higher abundances of the amoA and accA genes of AOA were found below the euphotic zone. Similarly, higher carbon fixation potential of AOA, evaluated by the ratios of amoA to accA gene, was also observed below euphotic zone and the ratios increased with increasing water depth. The vertical niche differentiation of AOA was further evidenced, with the dominant genus shifting from Nitrosopelagicus in the epipelagic zone to uncultured genus in the meso- and bathypelagic zones. Our findings highlight the higher carbon fixation potential of AOA in deep water and the significance of AOA to the ocean carbon budget.
