Nature Communications (Jul 2024)

Nitrifying niche in estuaries is expanded by the plastisphere

  • Xiaoxuan Su,
  • Xinrong Huang,
  • Yiyue Zhang,
  • Leyang Yang,
  • Teng Wen,
  • Xiaoru Yang,
  • Guibing Zhu,
  • Jinbo Zhang,
  • Yijia Tang,
  • Zhaolei Li,
  • Jing Ding,
  • Ruilong Li,
  • Junliang Pan,
  • Xinping Chen,
  • Fuyi Huang,
  • Matthias C. Rillig,
  • Yong-guan Zhu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-50200-8
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 15, no. 1
pp. 1 – 14

Abstract

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Abstract The estuarine plastisphere, a novel ecological habitat in the Anthropocene, has garnered global concerns. Recent geochemical evidence has pointed out its potential role in influencing nitrogen biogeochemistry. However, the biogeochemical significance of the plastisphere and its mechanisms regulating nitrogen cycling remain elusive. Using 15N- and 13C-labelling coupled with metagenomics and metatranscriptomics, here we unveil that the plastisphere likely acts as an underappreciated nitrifying niche in estuarine ecosystems, exhibiting a 0.9 ~ 12-fold higher activity of bacteria-mediated nitrification compared to surrounding seawater and other biofilms (stone, wood and glass biofilms). The shift of active nitrifiers from O2-sensitive nitrifiers in the seawater to nitrifiers with versatile metabolisms in the plastisphere, combined with the potential interspecific cooperation of nitrifying substrate exchange observed among the plastisphere nitrifiers, collectively results in the unique nitrifying niche. Our findings highlight the plastisphere as an emerging nitrifying niche in estuarine environment, and deepen the mechanistic understanding of its contribution to marine biogeochemistry.