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HERO ID
6570855
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Population dynamics of methanogens and methanotrophs along the salinity gradient in Pearl River Estuary: implications for methane metabolism
Author(s)
Chen, S; Wang, P; Liu, H; Xie, W; Wan, XS; Kao, SJ; Phelps, TJ; Zhang, C
Year
2020
Is Peer Reviewed?
Yes
Journal
Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
ISSN:
0175-7598
EISSN:
1432-0614
Volume
104
Issue
3
Page Numbers
1331-1346
Language
English
PMID
31858192
DOI
10.1007/s00253-019-10221-6
Web of Science Id
WOS:000509529900033
URL
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00253-019-10221-6
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Abstract
Methane, a major greenhouse gas, plays an important role in global carbon cycling and climate change. Methanogenesis is identified as an important process for methane formation in estuarine sediments. However, the metabolism of methane in the water columns of estuaries is not well understood. The goal of this research was to examine the dynamics in abundance and community composition of methanogens and methanotrophs, and to examine whether and how they take part in methane metabolism in the water columns from the lower Pearl River (freshwater) to the coastal South China Sea (seawater). Quantitative PCR (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing results showed that the abundance of methanogens decreased with increasing salinity, suggesting that growth of these methanogens in the Pearl River Estuary may be influenced by high salinity. Also, the methane concentration in surface waters was lower than that in near-bottom waters at most sites, suggesting sediment methanogens are a likely source of methane. In the estuarine mixing zone, significantly high methane concentrations existed with the presence of salt-tolerant methanogens (e.g., Methanomicrobiaceae, Methanocella, Methanosaeta and Methanobacterium) and methanotrophs (e.g., Methylocystis and Methylococcaceae), which were found in brackish habitats. Furthermore, a number of methanotrophic OTUs (from pmoA gene sequence data) had specific positive correlations with methanogenic OTUs (from mcrA gene sequence data), and some of these methanogenic OTUs were correlated with concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC). The results indicate that methanotrophs and methanogens may be intimately linked in methane metabolism attached with particles in estuarine waters.
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