NEXT-GENERATION SEQUENCING FOR STUDYING MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES DURING CYANOBACTERIAL ALGAL BLOOMS
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Date
2022
Authors
Meirkhanova, Ayagoz
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities
Abstract
Increasing evidence reports adverse effects of climate change on freshwater ecosystems
and harmful algal blooms in particular, but response mechanisms of such heterogeneous
communities are poorly understood. Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis is a suitable
and efficient tool for resolving biodiversity within complex ecosystems. Specifically, full length 16S rRNA next-generation nanopore sequencing, combined with barcoding, was
implemented in the work to resolve the structure of plankton communities in LMWE
mesocosm experiment. Portable nanopore sequencing technology provides time-efficient
and cost-effective analysis of environmental data, with taxonomic resolution up to genera.
Since laboratory cultures have limitations in reflecting complex phytoplankton
communities, mesocosm facilities were used as experimental setups for studying the
variability of these communities. The effect of stratification on microbial composition
dynamics was assessed for eight weeks using 12 outdoor mesocosm tanks, with three
temperature regimes, varying nutrient levels, and two sampling depths. In total, 192 water
samples were collected, followed by eDNA extraction, amplification, and sequencing.
Obtained results revealed successful classification (up to 99.93%) of over 1200 genera in
each mesocosm tank. Classified taxa of heterotrophic bacteria included low-abundance
(<0.01%) genera. Temporal analysis of obtained data revealed changes in microbial
dominance throughout the Microcystis spp. bloom development. Principal component
analysis coupled with ADONIS test revealed a significant correlation between
environmental factors and heterotrophic bacteria community composition. Moreover,
varying temperature regimes had a significant effect on community structure throughout
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the experiment. Microbial communities during stratification and mixing periods were
shown to form statistically significant clusters, with Microcystis spp. contributing the
most to dissimilarity. Obtained results provide insights into the effect of stratification and
temperature on microbial community composition
Description
Keywords
Type of access: Open Access, CyanoHAB, next-generation sequencing, 16S rRNA, nanopore-based sequencing, imaging flow cytometry
Citation
Ayagoz Meirkhanova. (2022). Next-generation sequencing for studying microbial communities during cyanobacterial algal blooms. School of Sciences and Humanities