Metagenomics-assembled genomes reveal microbial metabolic adaptation to athalassohaline environment, the case Lake Barkol, China.

ABSTRACT: Salt-tolerant and halophilic microorganisms are critical drivers of ecosystem stability and biogeochemical cycling in athalassohaline environments. Lake Barkol, a high-altitude inland saline lake, provides a valuable natural setting for investigating microbial community dynamics and adaptation mechanisms under extreme salinity. In this study, we employed high-throughput metagenomic sequencing to characterize the taxonomic composition, metabolic potential, and ecological functions of microbial communities in both water and sediment samples from Lake Barkol. We reconstructed 309 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs), comprising 279 bacterial and 30 archaeal genomes. Notably, approximately 97% of the MAGs could not be classified at the species level, indicating substantial taxonomic novelty in

SUBMITTER: Xamxidin M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12174138 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature