Microbial Community Structure and Functional Potential Along a Hypersaline Gradient.

ABSTRACT: Salinity is one of the strongest environmental drivers of microbial evolution and community composition. Here we aimed to determine the impact of salt concentrations (2.5, 7.5, and 33.2%) on the microbial community structure of reclaimed saltern ponds near San Francisco, California, and to discover prospective enzymes with potential biotechnological applications. Community compositions were determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealing both higher richness and evenness in the pond sediments compared to the water columns. Co-occurrence network analysis additionally uncovered the presence of microbial seed bank communities, potentially primed to respond to rapid changes in salinity. In addition, functional annotation of shotgun metagenomic DNA showed different capabilities if the micr

SUBMITTER: Kimbrel JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6048260 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature