Genomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of carbon remineralization in an Antarctic polynya.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Polynyas in the Southern Ocean are regions of intense primary production, mainly by Phaeocystis antarctica. Carbon fixed by phytoplankton in the water column is transferred to higher trophic levels, and finally, to the deep ocean. However, in the Amundsen Sea, most of this organic carbon does not reach the sediment but is degraded in the water column due to high bacterial heterotrophic activity.

Results

We reconstructed 12 key bacterial genomes from different phases of bloom and analyzed the expression of genes involved in organic carbon remineralization. A high correlation of gene expression between the peak and decline phases was observed in an individual genome bin-based pairwise comparison of gene expression. Polaribacter belonging to Bacteroidetes was found t

SUBMITTER: Kim SJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6383258 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature