Long-term soil metal exposure impaired temporal variation in microbial metatranscriptomes and enriched active phages.

ABSTRACT:

Background

It remains unclear whether adaptation and changes in diversity associated to a long-term perturbation are sufficient to ensure functional resilience of soil microbial communities. We used RNA-based approaches (16S rRNA gene transcript amplicon coupled to shotgun mRNA sequencing) to study the legacy effects of a century-long soil copper (Cu) pollution on microbial activity and composition, as well as its effect on the capacity of the microbial community to react to temporal fluctuations.

Results

Despite evidence of microbial adaptation (e.g., iron homeostasis and avoidance/resistance strategies), increased heterogeneity and richness loss in transcribed gene pools were observed with increasing soil Cu, together with an unexpected predominance of phage mRNA signature

SUBMITTER: Jacquiod S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6292020 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature