Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 111-119 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
| Volume | 132 |
| Early online date | 13 Feb 2019 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2019 |
Abstract
Soil microorganisms are key players of the nitrogen cycle and relevant for soil development. While the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms during initial soil development is already well investigated, knowledge about the patterns during long-term ecosystem development is limited. In this study, nitrogen functional genes of ammonia-oxidizers (amoA), nitrate-reducers (narG), and chitin-degraders (chiA) were determined via quantitative PCR and the functional community composition of archaeal ammonia-oxidizers was analyzed via clone libraries and DNA sequencing (amoA) in soil depth profiles along the 120,000-year Franz Josef chronosequence (New Zealand). The results show that absolute nitrogen functional gene abundances change significantly during long-term soil development. In organic layers, narG and chiA gene abundances were highest in young to intermediate-aged soils and then decreased following progressive and retrogressive development of the vegetation. While relative archaeal amoA gene abundance (proportional to total cell counts) decreased in the oldest phosphorus-limited topsoils, relative narG and chiA gene abundances remained constant. In subsoils, archaeal amoA and narG gene abundances also decreased with ecosystem retrogression that coincided with the increasing content of iron and aluminum oxides as well as other clay-sized minerals. In contrast, subsoil chiA gene abundances were hardly affected by soil age. The analysis of the archaeal amoA community revealed a compositional shift during long-term ecosystem development. Our study provides evidence that the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in top- and subsoils is significantly affected by long-term ecosystem development and suggests an important role of the mineral phase in subsoils.
Keywords
- amoA, chiA, narG, qPCR, Soil chronosequence, Soil depth
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Immunology and Microbiology(all)
- Microbiology
- Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
- Soil Science
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In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 132, 05.2019, p. 111-119.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Distinct pattern of nitrogen functional gene abundances in top- and subsoils along a 120,000-year ecosystem development gradient
AU - Turner, Stephanie
AU - Mikutta, Robert
AU - Guggenberger, Georg
AU - Schaarschmidt, Frank
AU - Schippers, Axel
N1 - Funding information: This work was supported by the German Science Foundation (DFG) [grants SCHI 535/11-2 to A.S. and MI 1377/5-2 to R.M.]. We greatly acknowledge Sandra Meyer-Stüve, Norman Gentsch, Andre Eger, and Leo M. Condron for help with preparation and realization of the sampling; Peter C. Almond, Duane A. Peltzer and Sarah J. Richardson for access to the sampling sites; Cornelia Struckmeyer for laboratory support; and Christian Siebenbürgen for help with graphical issues. The AOB standard for qPCR was kindly provided by the ‘Aquatic Geomicrobiology’ Group, University of Jena, Germany, and the chiA qPCR standard was kindly provided by the ‘Environmental Microbiology’ Group, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany.
PY - 2019/5
Y1 - 2019/5
N2 - Soil microorganisms are key players of the nitrogen cycle and relevant for soil development. While the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms during initial soil development is already well investigated, knowledge about the patterns during long-term ecosystem development is limited. In this study, nitrogen functional genes of ammonia-oxidizers (amoA), nitrate-reducers (narG), and chitin-degraders (chiA) were determined via quantitative PCR and the functional community composition of archaeal ammonia-oxidizers was analyzed via clone libraries and DNA sequencing (amoA) in soil depth profiles along the 120,000-year Franz Josef chronosequence (New Zealand). The results show that absolute nitrogen functional gene abundances change significantly during long-term soil development. In organic layers, narG and chiA gene abundances were highest in young to intermediate-aged soils and then decreased following progressive and retrogressive development of the vegetation. While relative archaeal amoA gene abundance (proportional to total cell counts) decreased in the oldest phosphorus-limited topsoils, relative narG and chiA gene abundances remained constant. In subsoils, archaeal amoA and narG gene abundances also decreased with ecosystem retrogression that coincided with the increasing content of iron and aluminum oxides as well as other clay-sized minerals. In contrast, subsoil chiA gene abundances were hardly affected by soil age. The analysis of the archaeal amoA community revealed a compositional shift during long-term ecosystem development. Our study provides evidence that the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in top- and subsoils is significantly affected by long-term ecosystem development and suggests an important role of the mineral phase in subsoils.
AB - Soil microorganisms are key players of the nitrogen cycle and relevant for soil development. While the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms during initial soil development is already well investigated, knowledge about the patterns during long-term ecosystem development is limited. In this study, nitrogen functional genes of ammonia-oxidizers (amoA), nitrate-reducers (narG), and chitin-degraders (chiA) were determined via quantitative PCR and the functional community composition of archaeal ammonia-oxidizers was analyzed via clone libraries and DNA sequencing (amoA) in soil depth profiles along the 120,000-year Franz Josef chronosequence (New Zealand). The results show that absolute nitrogen functional gene abundances change significantly during long-term soil development. In organic layers, narG and chiA gene abundances were highest in young to intermediate-aged soils and then decreased following progressive and retrogressive development of the vegetation. While relative archaeal amoA gene abundance (proportional to total cell counts) decreased in the oldest phosphorus-limited topsoils, relative narG and chiA gene abundances remained constant. In subsoils, archaeal amoA and narG gene abundances also decreased with ecosystem retrogression that coincided with the increasing content of iron and aluminum oxides as well as other clay-sized minerals. In contrast, subsoil chiA gene abundances were hardly affected by soil age. The analysis of the archaeal amoA community revealed a compositional shift during long-term ecosystem development. Our study provides evidence that the community structure of nitrogen-cycling microorganisms in top- and subsoils is significantly affected by long-term ecosystem development and suggests an important role of the mineral phase in subsoils.
KW - amoA
KW - chiA
KW - narG
KW - qPCR
KW - Soil chronosequence
KW - Soil depth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061529895&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.02.006
DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2019.02.006
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85061529895
VL - 132
SP - 111
EP - 119
JO - Soil Biology and Biochemistry
JF - Soil Biology and Biochemistry
SN - 0038-0717
ER -