Nutrient Exposure Alters Microbial Composition, Structure, and Mercury Methylating Activity in Periphyton in a Contaminated Watershed.

ABSTRACT: The conversion of mercury (Hg) to monomethylmercury (MMHg) is a critical area of concern in global Hg cycling. Periphyton biofilms may harbor significant amounts of MMHg but little is known about the Hg-methylating potential of the periphyton microbiome. Therefore, we used high-throughput amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene, ITS2 region, and Hg methylation gene pair (hgcAB) to characterize the archaea/bacteria, fungi, and Hg-methylating microorganisms in periphyton communities grown in a contaminated watershed in East Tennessee (United States). Furthermore, we examined how nutrient amendments (nitrate and/or phosphate) altered periphyton community structure and function. We found that bacterial/archaeal richness in experimental conditions decreased in summer and increased in au

SUBMITTER: Carrell AA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8017159 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature