biostudies-literatureChen SAustrian Science Fund FWFeadj8184https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11114224biostudies-literatureUnknown10(21)Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the transport of surface microbes to the ocean's interior. Vertical connectivity of phylogenetic composition has been shown; however, the functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities has not yet been explored in detail. We investigated protein and taxa profiles of both free-living and particle-attached microbial communities from the surface to 3000 m depth using a combined metaproteomic and 16<i>S</i> rRNA amplicon sequencing approach. A clear compositional and functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities was observed throughout the water column with Oceanospirillales, Alteromonadales, and Rhodobacterales as key taxa. The surface-derived particle-associated microbes increased the expression of proteins involved in basicScience advancesFunctional vertical connectivity of microbial communities in the ocean.PMC11114224P 35587Fan GYChen JWHerndl GJWu PFYan KQLi DXDong CMXie ZXLiu SQZhao ZWang DZChen SPeng LLin LfalseFunctional vertical connectivity of microbial communities in the ocean.Sinking particles are a critical conduit for the transport of surface microbes to the ocean's interior. Vertical connectivity of phylogenetic composition has been shown; however, the functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities has not yet been explored in detail. We investigated protein and taxa profiles of both free-living and particle-attached microbial communities from the surface to 3000 m depth using a combined metaproteomic and 16<i>S</i> rRNA amplicon sequencing approach. A clear compositional and functional vertical connectivity of microbial communities was observed throughout the water column with Oceanospirillales, Alteromonadales, and Rhodobacterales as key taxa. The surface-derived particle-associated microbes increased the expression of proteins involved in basic2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 May2026-06-03T04:26:09.273Z2026-04-24T03:09:32.269ZS-EPMC111142243878133210.1126/sciadv.adj8184