Tide as Steering Factor in Structuring Archaeal and Bacterial Ammonia-Oxidizing Communities in Mangrove Forest Soils Dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle

• Published in: Microbial ecology 2018-05, Vol.75 (4), p.997-1008
• Main Authors: Marcos, Magalí S., Barboza, Anthony D., Keijzer, Rosalinde M., Laanbroek, Hendrikus J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ammonia; Analytical methods; Aquatic plants; Archaea; Avicennia germinans; Bacteria; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Communities; Community composition; DNA; Ecology; Electrophoresis; Forest soils; Gel electrophoresis; Gels; Gene sequencing; Genes; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Life Sciences; Locations (working); Mangrove swamps; Mangroves; Microbial activity; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Nature Conservation; Nucleotide sequence; Oxidation; Oxidizing agents; PCR; Physicochemical processes; Physicochemical properties; Rhizophora mangle; rRNA 16S; Soil; SOIL MICROBIOLOGY; Soil properties; Species; Water Quality/Water Pollution
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-017-1091-y

Mangrove species are adapted to grow at specific zones in a tidal gradient. Here we tested the hypothesis that the archaeal and bacterial ammonia-oxidizing microbial communities differ in soils dominated by the mangrove species Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle. Two of the sampling locations were tidal locations, while the other location was impounded. Differences in the community compositions of ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) were analyzed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of amoA genes and by MiSeq 16S rRNA genesequencing. The abundances of AOA and AOB were established by quantitative PCR of amoA genes. In addition, we analyzed the total microbial community composition based on 16S rRNA genes and explored the influence of soil physicochemical properties underneath Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle on microbial communities. AOA were always more abundant than AOB, but the effect of mangrove species on total numbers of ammonia oxidizers was location-specific. The microbial communities including the ammonia oxidizers in soils associated with A. germinans and R. mangle differed only at the tidal locations. In conclusion, potential site-specific effects of mangrove species on soil microbial communities including those of the AOA and AOB are apparently overruled by the absence or presence of tide.