Estimating taxonomic and functional structure along a tropical estuary: linking metabolic traits and aspects of ecosystem functioning.

Autor:	Levipan HA; Departamento de Ciencias y Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Laboratorio de Ecopatología y Nanobiomateriales, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile.; Ocean, Climate and Environment Research Group (OCE), Environmental Academic Corporation, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia., Opazo LF; Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile.; Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity (IEB), Santiago, Chile.; Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile., Arenas-Uribe S; Ocean, Climate and Environment Research Group (OCE), Environmental Academic Corporation, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia.; Programa de Magíster en Ecología Marina, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción, Chile., Wicki H; Departamento de Ciencias y Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Laboratorio de Ecopatología y Nanobiomateriales, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile., Marchant F; Departamento de Ciencias y Geografía, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Laboratorio de Ecopatología y Nanobiomateriales, Universidad de Playa Ancha, Valparaíso, Chile., Florez-Leiva L; Ocean, Climate and Environment Research Group (OCE), Environmental Academic Corporation, University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia., Avendaño-Herrera R; Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Laboratorio de Patología de Organismos Acuáticos y Biotecnología Acuícola, Universidad Andrés Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile.; Centro FONDAP, Interdisciplinary Center for Aquaculture Research (INCAR), Universidad Andrés Bello, Viña del Mar, Chile.; Centro de Investigación Marina Quintay (CIMARQ), Universidad Andrés Bello, Quintay, Chile.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Microbiology spectrum [Microbiol Spectr] 2024 Oct 03; Vol. 12 (10), pp. e0388623. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 20.
DOI:	10.1128/spectrum.03886-23
Abstrakt:	Microbial life forms are among the most ubiquitous on Earth, yet many remain understudied in Caribbean estuaries. We report on the prokaryote community composition of the Urabá Estuary in the Colombian Caribbean using 16S rRNA gene-transcript sequencing. We also assessed potential functional diversity through 38 metabolic traits inferred from 16S rRNA gene data. Water samples were collected from six sampling stations at two depths with contrasting light-penetration conditions along an approximately 100 km transect in the Gulf of Urabá in December 2019. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis grouped the samples into two distinct clusters along the transect and between depths. The primary variables influencing the prokaryote community composition were the sampling station, depth, salinity, and dissolved oxygen levels. Twenty percent of genera (i.e., 58 out 285) account for 95% of the differences between groups along the transect and among depths. All of the 38 metabolic traits studied showed some significant relationship with the tested environmental variables, especially salinity and except with temperature. Another non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis, based on community-weighted mean of traits, also grouped the samples in two clusters along the transect and over depth. Biodiversity facets, such as richness, evenness, and redundancy, indicated that environmental variations-stemming from river discharges-introduce an imbalance in functional diversity between surface prokaryote communities closer to the estuary's head and bottom communities closer to the ocean. Our research broadens the use of 16S rRNA gene transcripts beyond mere taxonomic assignments, furthering the field of trait-based prokaryote community ecology in transitional aquatic ecosystems.IMPORTANCEThe resilience of a dynamic ecosystem is directly tied to the ability of its microbes to navigate environmental gradients. This study delves into the changes in prokaryote community composition and functional diversity within the Urabá Estuary (Colombian Caribbean) for the first time. We integrate data from 16S rRNA gene transcripts (taxonomic and functional) with environmental variability to gain an understanding of this under-researched ecosystem using a multi-faceted macroecological framework. We found that significant shifts in prokaryote composition and in primary changes in functional diversity were influenced by physical-chemical fluctuations across the estuary's environmental gradient. Furthermore, we identified a potential disparity in functional diversity. Near-surface communities closer to the estuary's head exhibited differences compared to deeper communities situated farther away. Our research serves as a roadmap for posing new inquiries about the potential functional diversity of prokaryote communities in highly dynamic ecosystems, pushing forward the domain of multi-trait-based prokaryote community ecology. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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